My Other Half AAML
by PrincessVictory
Summary: A race against time for Ash as he hopes to see Misty once again, to finally reveal the feelings he'd harbored deep inside for nearly four years, since their first journey together in Kanto. Will he make it in time, or will it already be too late? R&R if you can please!:D
1. Chapter 1

A/N Hey guys, this is my first fanfic! All rights belong to the creators of Pokemon. There are two things you might want to know first though:

1) I make it to where each region=one year, plus they have school in between each journey, so I guess it's actually one region=one summer or something like that

2) A later reference in the story as to Misty's last name uses the Manga form of her last name, since the English Anime never revealed it.

All Comments and criticism is welcome! Enjoy!

P.S. Extra sorry for short chapters, it's just how my mind works! Enjoy anyways...

Ash's POV (Day 1) Monday

"Oh, Pikachu! I'm so excited! Don't you remember what tomorrow is, little buddy?" Pikachu nods, even though he knows I'm going to tell him anyway. "It's the last day of school, which means, we'll be heading for Cerulean City right afterward to see Misty! Oh, and of course we'll visit Brock too. In fact, I'll ask him to come along so we can all be together again! I just can't wait!"

Pikachu laughs and says, "Pika, pika, pikachu!" _Sounds like somebody has a crush!_

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Pikachu groans, so apparently I didn't catch the joke. "If _anybody_ in this room has a crush, then it would be you, my friend. I saw how you treated Dawn's Buneary when we left her last summer."

I raise an eyebrow, and Pikachu laughs again, saying, "Pikachu!" _Do not!_

"Do too! You told me yourself how much you were going to miss her! Poor thing; she had feelings for you all that time, but you didn't notice until last minute that you really felt the same, so don't you go telling me who I do and don't have a crush on, okay?"

Pikachu sighs, and answers with an angry "Pikachu!" _How rude!_

His frown tells me that I'm being a little too harsh, so I say, "Sorry, Pikachu. Guess I'm just a little nervous. Oh well, I just guess I said that because I know you're right. I mean, I really do like her, but I've always been too afraid to admit it. I'm gonna tell her this summer though, and finally ask her to—"

"Ash Ketchum! It's midnight! You better get to sleep, and quit your talking now, you two! Just because school's almost out doesn't mean it _is_ out, so go to bed, both of you!"

"Fine, Mom! Good night!" I switch off the light and crawl under the covers with my little electric furball. "Good night, little buddy."

"Pika, pi." _Good night, Ash._


	2. Chapter 2

Misty's POV

Well, one thing's for sure, at least when I was Gym Leader, I didn't have to go to school. But things have changed a lot lately since my sisters took over again after they made it home. For one, they bluntly _insisted_ that I get my education, so that's how I ended up here. Thankfully, today's the last day, which means it's finally gonna be summertime! And, for those of you who remember my old look, my appearance has changed greatly.

Instead of a sideways ponytail, my orange hair is straight, er, almost straight. Also, instead of my signature outfit, I now sport a shoulder-less, half-sleeve, black-and-blue-striped, knee-length dress with black lace fringe and little black ankle boots. I know it doesn't sound like me, but it's a small price to pay, considering I'm only with the hottest guy I know! His name's Chase, and he's one of the sweetest, smartest, funniest guys I've met! He has these big blue eyes, swishy brown hair, and a smile that kills. Plus, he's only a little taller than I am! The only problem was that I was too "tomboyish" for him.

So I changed. I can just hear Ash now, saying, "Why do you even try to be with someone who doesn't even truly like you for you?" I blush at the thought, but quickly stop myself, thinking, _Get a grip, girl! You can't be blushing over the simple thought of him! You have a boyfriend now!_

I sigh and slump down against the wall of my small bedroom. It has a twin bed with cerulean sheets, covers, and pillowcases; a small flatscreen TV (which I barely use anyway); a full-length sky blue mirror; and a small sky blue dresser full of my clothes. It has water Pokémon wallpaper, and wooden flooring. _What do I see in that boy?_ I wonder. _He is so childish and immature, not to mention he doesn't even know when to shut up!_ "But he is also a good friend, who cares and has my back for me, no matter what. Not even my sisters can say that," I hear myself say quietly. I have to admit, my sensible side presents a really good point, but it's not like I'll ever see him again, right?

Just then, my oldest sister Daisy walks in, her big green eyes watching me, as if wondering what's wrong. After assessing the situation, she stoops down, facing me, and says, "Please don't tell me you're whining over Ash…Again! Come on, you've got somebody now! He's old news now!"

"Don't you think I know that? And I wasn't whining! I was merely thinking!"

"Mhmm…Well, it's time for school, so you better get going; I know how you don't like being late." I nod, standing up, and grab my red gym bag. Yeah, some things never change.


	3. Chapter 3

Ash's POV

"Ready, Pikachu? Time for our last day!" Pikachu nods as he takes a bite of Mom's pancakes. I'm wearing the new outfit Mom gave me for the trip; a blue-and-white jacket with jeans and a blue hat. I'm trying to slip on my right shoe (which is also blue!) when Mr. Mime sweeps it, along with the rest of the kitchen floor.

Well, at least it's extra-clean now. I begin following Pikachu's lead, stuffing the pancakes piece by piece into my mouth. "Careful, honey, or you'll choke!" I turn to see my mom in her gardening clothes, and reply, between bites, "I…can't…be…late!" I scarf down the rest, slip on my backpack, kiss Mom's cheek, and rush out the door. "Since when is he in such a hurry to get to school?" I hear Mom ask Pikachu just before I bolt.

Pikachu shrugs. "Pika, pika, pi, pikachu!" _Don't ask me, ask the kid in the blue!_

He soon follows suit, and within ten minutes, we're at the school. Surprisingly enough, it goes by pretty quickly. We have a last day of school party, and afterward I head straight to Professor Oak's lab.

"Trust me; I'll only be gone for a few days."

"That may be true, Ash, but you need to start your next journey within the week, or you won't have time before school comes back around."

"I know, I know. But I wanna go see Misty! And Brock too!"

"Hmmm, seems to me like you're going to burst at the seams if you don't go, so I suppose…"

"Thanks, Professor! I better go get ready!" I run out the door as fast as I can, and head for home. _Ohhhh, Misty is gonna be soo surprised!_


	4. Chapter 4

Misty's POV

"Look, I know you want to take over the gym for the summer, but couldn't you at least squeeze in a little time for me? Come on, sweetheart, you know I want you to follow your dreams, but can't I fit into the picture at all?" I shut my locker and look into Chase's pleading blue eyes.

"Let me get something straight: The one time I can go full-time at the gym, you're asking me to only stay part-time? Do you have any idea what you're asking? That'd be like Ash asking me to stay after I left him in Viridian City to come back here and keep the Gym from closing down!" _That and this is the only way I can keep my mind off of that longing I have to go travel with Ash and Brock again this summer!_

"Yeah, but you'd say yes to him…" he mumbles, not noticing that I hear him.

"Well then, if that's what you think, maybe I should've!"

I turn to leave, but he grabs my arm and says, "No, I didn't mean it that way! You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, baby, and I just can't picture it any other way!" _Too bad I have to be a prisoner in my own body for you, or I might just believe that! _I want to scream that so badly now, but I know doing that will mean losing him, and so far, he's the only one that can screw my head on straight. Well, except for…him.

"Look, I love you so much, baby, please, at least consider my question."

"Fine, but don't count on getting a yes, because you of all people should know that I've wanted to be over the gym for forever now."

"I know; that's why I'm not asking you to quit, because I know you can't. Oh well, guess I'd better get home. I love you, and I'll see you tonight."

"Don't forget it's at eight, and please, try not to be late like you usually are for everything else!"

"I won't. Bye for now." He gives me a goodbye hug, and is off. Oh well, at least I'll see him again tonight. Now I just have to figure out what to do until then.

Somehow assuming I will still be here if I don't walk, I head for my home, the Cerulean Gym. When I get there, Daisy, Lily, and Violet are at the door. "What do you three want from me now?"

"Nothing at all, Misty," Daisy says, quietly twirling her blonde wavy hair between her fingers.

"Yeah, Misty, we just decided to give you a present for tonight. It's your first real date with Chase, after all," Violet says, repinning her red clip into her indigo hair. Her brown eyes show some excitement, which confuses me even more.

"Yepper! We're getting you ready for your super special date!" Lily exclaims, her big blue eyes shining, and her wavy pink hair is blowing slightly in the breeze. _Great, my three sisters have finally lost it._ They walk me inside, and I begin to wonder if eight will ever get here.


	5. Chapter 5

Ash's POV

"Bye, Mom! Love you! See you later, and you too, Mr. Mime!" I kiss Mom's cheek for the second time that day, and walk away, waving as I go.

"Bye, honey! Come back soon! Don't forget to stay clean and keep in touch! I mean it, young man! Don't make me worry about you!"

"I won't, Mom, I promise!" Pikachu jumps onto my shoulder, and I hop onto my new bike and go. "Here we go; time for the adventure of a lifetime, Pikachu!"

"Pika, pi!" _Yeah, let's go!_

We stop by the lake I first met Misty at, and grab a bite to eat. Literally. Pikachu climbs up a tree and picks two apples, one for each of us. I bite into it, and as I look around, feelings of nostalgia flood my mind like a river's dam bursting. _This is where I stole her bike to save Pikachu._ It only took a day to reach Viridian City on that thing.

The downside, well, I was being chased by flocks of angry Spearow, so go figure. Pikachu shocked them away, but fried her bike in the process. Well, at least Nurse Joy from Viridian City finally got that fixed. Now I don't have to go buy her a new one. Oh well, after we eat, I get back on and head for Viridian City.

The sun is setting as I arrive, and the excitement quietly begins to build. I walk into the Pokémon Center, and notice Nurse Joy at the desk. "Heya, Nurse Joy! Remember me?"

She looks up, and replies, "Why, yes! If it isn't Ash! The boy I always heard so much about! I remember it like it was just yesterday, and my, how you've grown! Where are the two who were traveling with you? Misty and Brock, weren't they?"

"Oh, Misty went back home to Cerulean City to take over the gym, and Brock started his first year of nursing school."

"And I'm guessing you're heading to see them now, are you not?"

"Yeah."

"Is that so? Well then, tell my cousins I said hi when you see them!"

"I will! Would you heal my Pokémon for me?"

"No problem. Just wait right over there." She points to the waiting area, and I quietly take my seat, just imagining what I'll say to Misty when I see her.


	6. Chapter 6

Misty's POV

"There, Misty! Now you're completely ready!" Daisy exclaims as she slowly backs away, lip-gloss tube in hand.

"You look beautiful, Misty! Almost as pretty as us," Lily says as she gives me a once-over. They're right about the pretty part…I guess. They have completely made-over my face, from mascara, lip-gloss, blush, and eye liner, all the way to blue and green eye shadow. They put two Goldeen in my ears for earrings, and the heart locket around my neck that Chase gave me.

I'm wearing a sparkling cerulean strapless dress and some strappy turquoise high heels. They even moved the things from my bag to this cyan-colored purse! My hair's also in millions of little curlicues. They must really want tonight to turn out well or something.

"All of this for me? What happened to you three? You're usually _never_ this nice to me!"

"True, but you usually _never_ have a date on Friday night either, now do you?" Lily had me there.

"Well, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. Run along, now, and have fun!" Daisy shoos me out the front door, and sure enough, Chase is walking up just as she closes the front door behind me. He looks at me and smiles. The moon is slowly rising behind him, and it glows as bright as the sun, it seems. This moment is just so perfect, but I know it's missing something, er, someone. _Ash._

"You look so wonderful, Mist! I couldn't even believe it was you at first!"

"I know…Crazy, huh? My sisters sure know how to make a tomboy look like a girly-girl, don't they?"

"You can say that again! But you look like you're thinking about something. Please, don't tell me…It's not about who I think it is, is it?"

"Depends on who you think it is…"

"See? You and I both know who I think it is, so I see that I'm right!"

"What makes you so sure you're right?"

"Well, when you avoid answering a question, it usually means I guessed right. I know you, Mist; all too well. You're thinking about that Ash kid again."

"Am not!"

"Are so! Just forget about him! Focus on this night, on us, for once. I love you so much, but watching you fall apart over some kid you last saw over two years ago is driving me insane! I'm crazy about you, but I'm not so crazy about your crush on an old friend."

"Well then, maybe if you would've accepted me for who I was to begin with, I just might believe all that crap! You know, I changed _everything_ about me, just so you'd like me! In fact, I'm tired of pretending! All because I wasn't "girly" enough for you! Yes, I'm tomboyish; I love wearing shorts and a tee-shirt everywhere I go; I love playing all kinds of sports; I can eat more than an average guy in one meal; I can look a mess and not even care; and I'm not afraid of getting a little dirt under my fingernails; but that's what makes me Misty!

"I'm a girl who'd do almost anything for my friends, and I treat my Pokémon like they're family. I mess up sometimes, but so does everyone else. And not telling Ash how I really feel is one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made in my entire life! You know what? Living this huge _lie_ was all a mistake too!" Before I know it, tears are streaming down my cheeks.

I crouch down, covering my make-up smeared face. He reaches to comfort me, but I push his hand away. "No! You don't even love me enough to want the real me, so just go! Don't ever come back! You've already caused me enough pain and sorrow for one life!"

"But Mi—"

"I said go!" I throw the heart locket he gave me at him. "Please, just…leave." Either out of understanding, or pity, he finally leaves me be. It starts to sprinkle, and soon begins to pour.

_Oh, Ash! I have to see you! I just have to!_


	7. Chapter 7

Ash's POV (Day 2) Tuesday

"Ready to head off, Pikachu? If we leave now, we should make it to Pewter City by nightfall. Brock's surely home by now, so maybe they'll let us stay the night there."

"Pika, pika, pikachu!" _I'm ready whenever you are, Ash!_

"Great, then let's get going! Bye, Nurse Joy, and thanks for everything!"

"Anytime, Ash, anytime!" I exit the Pokémon Center, just to discover my bike missing! I run to Officer Jenny's, but she's out on patrol.

"Come back at nine! That's almost three hours from now! I don't have time to wait that long! Hey, wait a sec, is that my bike I see through the reflection in the glass?" I turn around, and as sure as I'm standing here, my bike is across the street.

With a little blonde boy's butt on it. _Wonderful, just wonderful._ I quickly walk over and say, "Hey there! I'm Ash! What's your name?"

He takes his finger out of his nose, and shakes my hand. With the hand that was just digging for gold a second ago. _Honestly, how old is this kid? Four?_

"The name's Ferrous, but you can call me Rusty. That's what I normally go by. Least, that's what everybody calls me. Nice to meet'cha, Ash."

"Well, Rusty, that sure is a nice bike you got there. You didn't happen to see one just like it parked outside the Pokémon Center, now did you?"

"Why, yes. Actually, that's where I found this beauty!"

"Isn't it a little, I dunno, big for you?"

"Nope, I'm nine years old, thank you very much. Don't I look cool on it?"

"You do, Rusty, but don't you think that if it's parked by the Pokémon Center, it might actually belong to someone?"

"Yeah, I watched it for hours, and no one came to get it, so I figured they wouldn't miss it too badly…"

"Rusty, don't you think you should go return it? The owner's probably worried sick by now."

He thinks about it for a minute, then replies, "Yeah, you're right, Ash! I'll just go sit it where it was and watch for the owner to come get it!"

He's about to leave, but I put my hand on his shoulder and say, "No need for that, Rusty. I'll go sit it over there for you, if you like."

"Nope. I wanna do it! I wanna see the owner's face light up when he sees his bike is back!"

"Really, Rusty, you don't have to. In fact, I'll tell you when someone comes and gets it if you'll let me do it."

"No! I wanna do it!"

"Look, you've left me no choice; I didn't want to tell you this, but I guess I'll have to. That's really my bike, Rusty. I stayed the night at the Pokémon Center, and I really need it back. I'm heading to Cerulean City, and I have to go there and be back home in only seven days' time. I only have six left now."

"Oh yeah? How do I know you're not just trying to take this bike away from me?"

"You don't. My name isn't on it or anything. Please, just trust me."

"What if I don't?"

"Then I can't do a thing about it. I just wanted to see Misty again, but I guess I—"

"Wait, you mean you know Cerulean's Sensational Sisters? I've always dreamed of being in one of their water shows! How do you know them?"

"Well, the youngest, Misty, is one of my best and closest friends. She's been with me through my journeys in Kanto and Johto. Lily, Violet, and Daisy I met when I challenged the gym there and got my Cascade Badge. Brock and I actually did a water show with them once, and it was a blast!" I chuckle at the thought of Team Rocket "blasting off again!"

"No way! I'm one of their biggest fans! Please, get their autographs and bring them back for me!"

"So you believe me?"

"Yes, but you better not be lying, or else I'll get Mommy on you! She's a police officer!"

"She wouldn't happen to be Officer Jenny, now would she?"

"She is, actually."

"Oh, okay. When I pass through again, I'll be sure to leave the autographs with her if I can't find you. Will that be okay?"

"It sure is! Oh, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you so much! It really means a lot!" He gives me a huge hug, and rolls my bike over to me. "Here you go, Ash! Now have a safe trip, and don't you forget about me, you hear?"

Just then, his mom rounded the corner. "Rusty, what did you do this time? I'm so sorry for whatever he did!"

"Don't worry about it, Officer Jenny. He already fixed it."

"Yeah, Mommy! And guess what? He knows the Sensational Sisters, and is gonna give me their autographs when he comes back through!"

"That's wonderful, honey! Oh, Ash, you've cheered him up so much, thank you!"

"You know my name?"

"Why, yes, you traveled through here a few years ago with Misty and Brock, did you not?"

"Yeah, and I got my Earth Badge from Giovanni here, too."

"And you saved the Pokémon Center from Jessie and James your first time here, though only Misty was with you at the time."

"Yeah, but Pikachu was the one who really save the Pokémon Center; I couldn't have done it without him!"

"Pika, pika, pi, pikachu! Pi, pik, pika, pika!" _It was no trouble; they needed to be stopped!_

"And we'll always be grateful for it!"

"Um, I hate to run, but I have to be somewhere by tomorrow, and I really don't have any time to lose! It was nice meeting you, Rusty, and see you both soon!"

I hop on my bike, wave goodbye, and race away. _No time to lose; Pewter City, here I come! _


	8. Chapter 8

Misty's POV

Well, after I sat there for what seemed like forever last night, my sister Daisy helped me up and into the house. She helped me dry off, and I lay there on our couch till I fell asleep. She never asked any questions, and of that I was incredibly thankful. I wasn't sure how I would've answered anything last night, but I also knew I'd be flooded with questions this morning. What I didn't know, however, is that it wouldn't be about what happened. At first, anyway.

"Misty, could I come in?" Daisy asks, tapping on the entrance to the living room. It's a quite spacious room, with tan walls and white ceramic tiles for flooring. It's furnished with a turquoise armchair and couch (the one I'm on), two little oak lampstands (one on each end of the couch), and a widescreen television hanging on the wall that displays all of the water shows.

"Sure," I say, voice cracking slightly from all the crying the previous night. She walks in and sits in the armchair, scooting it as close as it will allow toward me. _Here come the questions._

"So…how are you feeling?" _Didn't expect that kind of question._

"Fine…I guess."

"Oh, Misty. You were so miserable last night! I'm surprised you haven't caught a cold! Would you mind explaining what in the world happened? One minute you were heading out with Chase on your date, and the next minute you were curled up in a ball with tears streaming down your face like a waterfall, all alone! I'm worried, Misty! I truly am!"

Either because of her sincerity, or because of my inability to fight back right now, I told her. Almost everything, except about Ash. She listens so carefully that I begin to wonder if I'm really talking to my sister. Maybe she's an alien. But my heart tells me she's not.

It's really her. The annoying I'll-always-be-better-than-you sister of mine has a soft side, and I love it. I love her for it. How come I never noticed it before? Maybe I've been too caught up in trying to change, and just never noticed.

Oh well, what matters is, she's trying. After I finish, it becomes completely silent. _I hope she isn't mad, or, or sad…_ "Misty," she says, breaking the monotonous silence, "You still have feelings for Ash don't you?"

"How'd you…? I never mentioned him telling you what happened…But still you…How?"

"Easy, I put the pieces together. The parts that you jumped around on or skimmed over, I figured had something to do with him. The question is, why?"

"I really don't know. It nags at me all the time, but I still don't know why."

_Why, Ash, why do you do this to me?_


	9. Chapter 9

Ash's POV

"Pikachu, use Volt Tackle on the Samurai's Butterfree!" Pikachu begins running at top speed, a tail of bright yellow electricity enveloping him completely. "Pika, pika, pika!" He screamed over and over again until he hit his target. It's just a bunch of nonsense words, if you're really wondering.

"Butterfree! No!" The Samurai screamed in defeat. "Return, Butterfree. I must say, you have become an exceptional trainer since last I saw you. Incredible, Ash, you beat me fair and square."

Well, you might ask why it ended so quickly, and, to put it quite frankly, you just missed most of it. "Yeah, your Butterfree put up a great fight though. You should be proud to call yourself its trainer."

"Thanks, Ash. However, you still have much to learn."

"But so do you, considering you're only about my age."

"True; so, how is that Butterfree of yours doing since last we met? Well, I assume?"

"I'm sure you're right, but I wouldn't know. He mated with a beautiful pink Butterfree not long after I met you. I released him, and haven't seen him since."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but you did the right thing; that is for certain."

"Yeah, but I'd best get going, or else I'll run out of time. See you later, Samurai!"

"Goodbye, Ash. Have a safe trip!"

"Thanks; will do!" I wave to him as I pedal as fast as humanly possible, and soon arrive at Pewter City, just as the moon starts creeping out. "Look, Pikachu, Brock's house is just ahead!"

"Pika!" _Yay!_ I get off the bike and quietly go to the door. I knock a few times, and one of Brock's nine brothers and sisters answers the door.

"Brock! Ash is here!" The little girl screams.

"You're Suzie, right?"

"Yup! I'm the seventh oldest!"

"And you always rip your—"

"Dang it! Ripped my dress again! Brock! Would you fix it?"

"In a little bit, Suzie." He walks up to the door and welcomes me in. "Ash, it's been too long!"

"Where's Flint and Lola?"

"Oh, they went on vacation as soon as I got home. Guess they needed a quick break. They won't be home for another week or so."

"Oh, so I guess that means you won't be able to come with me to Cerulean City…"

"What's there that you wanted me to come see with you so badly?"

"I wanted you to come with me to visit Misty, but I guess it's okay."

"I wish I could, but I'm so busy here. You understand, right?" I nod.

"Yeah, it was just a thought. Would you mind if I stayed the night? I have nowhere else to—"

"Sure! Come on in! Just park your bike by the door, and sit your backpack inside on the table. You guys, we have a visitor tonight! Say hello to Ash everybody!"

"Hey!" Everyone screams, surrounding Pikachu and me. I can already tell this is going to be a long night.

"Did you bring Pikachu?" Cindy, the sixth oldest, asks.

"He did, Cind! Let's get him!" Billy, the second youngest, screams.

"Hold on; wait a sec! Everybody'll get a turn to hold Pikachu! Starting with Tilly," Brock says, handing poor Pikachu to the youngest of the bunch. "Now when she's done, it'll go to Billy, then Timmy, then Suzie, and then so on and so forth. Youngest to oldest. Got it?"

"We got it, Brock," Yolanda says. She's the fourth oldest, I think.

"We'll take care of him, Ash; don't worry," Salvadore, the third oldest, tells me. "Alright, I trust you; but don't let me down!"

"We won't; I'll make sure of it," Forrest, the oldest of the nine brothers and sisters, speaks up.

"Thanks, Forrest. I'll be in the kitchen with Brock if something goes wrong, okay?"

"I'll keep it in mind," he replies. Somehow, his mischievous look makes me think otherwise, but oh well, it's their own fault if Pikachu gives them a little warning shock. We walk into the kitchen, and immediately Brock starts on the dishes. I help him rinse and dry, and pretty soon they're squeaky clean.

"So, Brock, how've things been?"

"They've been good, actually. I finished my first year of med school, and met this wonderful girl there named Cecilia. She has these big chocolate-colored eyes, a real rosy complexion, and the pinkest hair you've ever seen! You really need to meet her, Ash! I'm telling you, she's the one!"

"That's great, Brock, and I'd love to meet her someday, but I'm on a pretty tight schedule as it is. I have to be home by Monday, or I can't start my new journey."

"Why'd you go to all this trouble then? If you knew how tight it was, why—"

"To see Misty. And you too, of course."

"Ahhh, I see, you still like Misty. Be that as it may, you'd still only have a day to see her, unless you—"

"Unless I ask her to go on my journey with me. I see that, so that was kinda my plan."

"She might not go, though. Unless you—"

"Unless I reveal my true feelings. Yes, I've thought of all this," I say, wiping the HUGE dinner table down for Brock.

"But did you ever consider that she might have a boyfriend?" _Crap. I knew I'd forgotten something._

"Uh…no. That actually never crossed my mind. If she does, I won't bother her. It'll mean she's moved on, and I won't take that from her."

"Man, she better not, though. Knowing her, she's too tomboyish for lots of guys, so she probably doesn't."

"True, but that is one of the best things about her, and many other guys probably feel the same way. Like the guy who invited her to stay with him in the Orange Islands."

"But he probably didn't consider that to be one of her best qualities, unlike you."

"Yeah, but if they knew her as well as I do, they wouldn't care, and would most likely feel the same way."

"You're definitely right there."

"I know I am," I say, making my way to check on Pikachu. Tommy, the fifth oldest, has him now, so I feel a little more reassured. _At least an older sibling has him now._ I come back to the kitchen, and notice Brock has finished up cleaning. He looks at me, and I begin to follow him to the bedroom.

_Just one more day, Misty. One more day._


	10. Chapter 10

Misty's POV

Well, you haven't missed much, but now I know why I care about him so much. I think I've been falling in love. I've been talking to Daisy for hours on end about him, and I'm finally seeing things clearly. Everything, from the birds to the trees and the songs on the breeze, and I mean everything, has more meaning, more clarity, and most definitely more understanding.

It's brighter now, now that I've released all the things that I've kept bottled up inside for so long. "Oh, and you wouldn't believe how brave he acted when I thought my poor Togepi was gone for good!" Yeah, those were some good times. "Alright, I believe you've talked my ears off about this boy, and it's almost time for bed, so you might want to head that way."

"Oh, okay. Thanks Daze. For everything. For caring, for trying, and for, most of all, listening."

"It really wasn't as hard as you act like it is. When you start talking about him, it's like you've just awakened from a deep sleep, and you come to life so animatedly that it almost makes me jealous because I don't have that kind of love for someone else yet, and I'm supposed to be the oldest! And you weave such intricately amazing stories that I almost feel as though I went through it with you! Really, Misty, look at yourself! You've grown so much over these few short years, spent either with Ash, thinking of Ash, or talking about Ash!

"You've found something special, and I wouldn't let it slip away if I were you!"

"You know what? You're right! I'm not gonna let him slip away again, not this time!"

"That's the spirit I was hoping for out of you! Now, I'd suggest you get a good night's sleep, and we'll talk more about it in the morning. Good night, Misty!"

"Good night, Daisy! Love you!"

She stops in her tracks, as if shocked, then, slowly but surely, replies, "Love you too, Misty." She walks away, and I quietly make my way to my room, where I get ready for bed, and lie down.

_I will find you, Ash Ketchum! That's one thing I can promise!_


	11. Chapter 11

Ash's POV (Day 3) Wednesday

I get up at about five-thirty, and notice the kids are still sleeping. I quickly fold up the pallet I made in Brock's floor, and see that Brock's already awake. Making breakfast. I walk into the kitchen, and find him making scrambled eggs for each kid. "Good morning, Ash! Slept well, I'm guessing?"

I nod, and quietly sink into the closest chair, dozing off every few minutes. He soon places a plate of eggs and toast under my nose, knowing I won't be able to resist the smell of his delicious food, and slides into the seat beside me, his own plate and fork in hand. He silently blesses the food, and I start chowing down, stuffing chunk after chunk into my mouth like a deprived Snorlax. "Uh, tell Misty I said hey, okay?"

"Sure, Brock. I'm sure she'd love to hear it!"

I finish, and soon change into my traveling clothes. "It was good seeing you again," I say, putting on my jacket.

"Yeah, good seeing you too. Have a safe trip, and come back soon!"

"Should be back in two days, if you wouldn't mind…"

"Sure! And I'm guessing Misty'll be coming too?"

"Maybe; I hope so. Oh well, see you soon!" I get on my bike and leave, waving as I go. _Who knows? Tonight could be the night!_


	12. Chapter 12

Misty's POV

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead! You wanted to be full-time Gym Leader, so don't start complaining now! You have a challenger!" I look drearily up at my alarm clock, and notice it's only six a.m. _Lord help, who in their right mind would come in this early?_

I drowsily dress into my new Gym Leader outfit, a pacific blue spaghetti strap shirt, a cerulean short-sleeved half-jacket with matching shorts and my blue hi-tops, and bolt from my room, brushing my hair as I go. I pull it up into my signature sideways ponytail, and cross the living room to the half-open door. Daisy's there, and so are Violet and Lily. "Well, Misty, say hello to your first summer challenger: Chase O'Haze."

_Dear good Lord above, why'd it have to be him?_ "For the fiftieth time, I didn't come here to battle; I came here to talk!"

"Mhmm, well, unless you challenge Misty to a battle, we can't let you talk to the Gym Leader," Lily says, filing her hot pink fingernails with Daisy's yellow file. Hmmm, guess she can't find hers.

"Look, I don't have time for this! Can't I just talk to her?"

"Battle, or no way," Violet replies, glaring at him through squinted eyes. _Score one for trying to save Misty's butt from her exe! Or would that be score three for them? I dunno, I lost count after last night's incident. And the night before's._

_ Oh well._ "Fine, have it your way! Misty, I hate to make you lose your first Gym battle, but apparently unless there's a battle I can't talk to you, and I'm clearly not going to lose." _Oh no he didn't just imply that he's better than me!_

"Okay then; bring it!" I walk onto our water-type Gym floor, and step in the Gym Leader's square. "Let's make this a three-on-three battle. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokémon. Whoever defeats their opponent's three Pokémon shall be declared winner."

He nods, recognizing the rules. "Go, Jolt!" He throws the red-and-white Poké ball in the air, and out comes an electric-type, Jolteon.

_Should've known._ "Go, Corsola, I choose you!" I throw out my water/rock type Pokémon, and the battle commences.

"Jolt, use Zap Cannon!" Before I know it, Jolt releases an electric ball zooming straight for poor Corsola.

"Dodge, and use Earthquake!" Yeah, teaching a few new moves _really_ pays off in the end. The ground shakes violently and knocks Jolt off the platform into the water.

"Jolt! Swim as close as you can to Corsola, and then use Thunderbolt!" Jolt starts doggy-paddling at full speed towards Corsola, but before it makes it halfway, Corsola jumps onto another floating platform, in an attempt to stall for time.

"Use Spike Cannon on Jolt before he reaches you!" Corsola slowly aims at the Jolteon, and quickly uses the move before Jolt has time to get out of the water. It takes a direct hit, and is knocked under the waves made by Earthquake earlier.

"Jolt! Get up! You can't just give up now! Use Thunder in the water now!" The water begins to glow with a yellow-white light, but it soon fades, due to Jolt's apparent exhaustion.

"Now, Corsola, finish it off with Bubblebeam!" The light blue bubbles stream from her mouth and hit Jolt with exceptional force, knocking it back against the wall of the Gym pool.

"Jolt is unable to battle, Corsola wins this match!" Lily screams, being our last-minute referee. _One down, two to go._

"Return, Jolt. You did the best you could. Now go, Sparks!" He sends out another electric-type and it just so happened to be a _Pikachu._ Memories come rushing back in torrents of uncontrollable emotions and pictures.

_Why pick Pikachu? He knew what this would do to me!_ "Round two, begin!" Lily screams, waking me up and back into reality.

"Sparks, use your Iron Tail on Corsola and send it flying!" Sparks does as it's told, and soon hits Corsola square in the face, sending it flying into the pool.

"Corsola, no! Use Recover, and fast!" Corsola's pink coral-like surface begins to glow a brilliant white, but before it can heal fully, Chase issues another attack.

"Finish it off with Volt Tackle!" Sparks begins running/hopping at full speed, and hits Corsola head on. _NO!_

"Corsola is unable to battle, Sparks wins the match!" _Just like something Ash would've done. _

"Return, Corsola. I'm so proud of you; you need your rest. I choose you, Starmie!" My purple star-shaped water/psychic Pokémon pops out, ready and raring to go. "This next one won't be so easy!"

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" He replies, still as vigorous as ever. "Sparks, use Volt Tackle again!" _Doesn't he realize he's weakening his poor Pikachu?_

Sparks is clearly still tuckered out from the last one, so it comes as no surprise when Starmie easily dodges it and crashes into the water, its back part spinning violently as always. The gem in its center glows vibrantly with life, and it seems as though the light will never fade inside. "Starmie, use Ice Beam on Sparks, now!" The gem glows even brighter, turning almost white, and a beam of freezing cold ice shoots out from its core, knocking Sparks off balance into the water.

"Sparks, get up! You can still win this!" However, Sparks never gets back up.

"Sparks is unable to battle, Starmie wins the match!"

"Return Sparks, you did well. Go Speepy!" He throws out a Bellsprout, knowing full well Starmie's ice-type moves could knock it out right off the bat.

"Round three, begin!"

"Speepy, use Razor Leaf, and aim for Starmie's core!"

"Dodge Starmie, and use Ice Beam once again!" The leaves shoot from Speepy lightning fast, making them extremely hard to dodge. Starmie jumps out of the way just in time, using Ice beam as it jumps. Bellsprout moves its limber, skinny body out of the way of the beam, and quickly retaliates by jumping into the air and grabbing hold of Starmie with Vine Whip.

"That's it, Speepy, you're doing just great!"

"Starmie, beak free using Rapid Spin, and then use Psychic!" Starmie starts spinning with incredible swiftness, knocking Speepy's vines away from its body. Almost immediately, it uses Psychic, and Speepy starts glowing blue. Starmie picks it up and knocks it up into the ceiling, and then back down onto the platform. It finishes the move off by throwing Speepy into the water, the grass-type smashing the surface at remarkable speeds.

Speepy soon pokes its head out from the water, hanging onto its last bit of energy. "Use Bullet Seed, and once again aim for the core!" Speepy manages to hit Starmie straight in its center, knocking it into the wall. The light in its core starts flickering, and soon goes out completely.

"Starmie is unable to battle, Speepy wins the match!"

"Return, Starmie, you did great! You deserve a nice long rest! I choose you, Staryu! Use Water Gun, and send Speepy flying!" Staryu quickly obeys, and soon Speepy ends up against the same wall Starmie was just at, though it is still hanging on by the skin of its cheek.

"Jump, Speepy, and use Razor Leaf once again!" Speepy weakly jumps, and misses Staryu by mere inches when it launches its attack.

"Tackle Staryu, and finish it off!" Staryu jumps and hits Speepy with all the force it can muster, and quickly bounces off into the water, while Speepy hits the ground, undoubtedly fainting from sheer fatigue.

"Speepy is unable to battle, Staryu wins the match!"

"Return Speepy, you did your best. A trainer could never ask for more."

"The challenger is out of usable Pokémon; the victory goes to Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader!" I rush out to hug Staryu, and praise its victory. I return it when Chase holds out a hand for me to shake.

"Good battle, and you deserved the victory. It was nice to actually have a bit of a challenge for once. Now, may I please talk to you? We did battle after all, and your sisters did say—"

"I know what they said. Fine, but make it quick, please. I don't need any more reminders of why I left you in the first place."

The comment stung, and I could tell by the way he flinched when I said it. _Oh well,_ _he got what was coming to him._ "Actually, I was wondering if I could take you for a walk and tell you. I didn't really wanna have to tell you in front of your sisters. Maybe to Cerulean Cape and back? Please?"

I think for a moment, and then nod. "Fine, we'd better get going though…there'll be plenty more challenges where that came from, and soon."

"Actually, Mist, there's already another challenger here by the name of Sky Shayze, so your little talk might have to wait until later," Daisy says as I'm about to grab my backpack.

"Okay, tell you what, I'll meet you at Cerulean Cape tonight around six. You can talk to me then, and you better not be late, because I'm not staying any longer than I have to!"

"Six it is. See you then." Chase slowly walks out the door, slightly happier after our battle.

_I wonder what he's going to say this time. _I slowly step away from the door, and greet my eager challenger with a smile. _This day should be…interesting. _Boy, I don't know how right I am.


	13. Chapter 13

Ash's POV

"Jeez, Pikachu! We've been riding all morning! We still haven't made it to Mt. Moon yet! Are you sure we're going the right direction?"

"Pika, pika, pikachu, pika, pika? Pika, pika, pi, pikachu!" _How am I supposed to know? I'm not a GPS, you know!_

"Don't you think I know that? Oh, wait, there it is! I see it!" Mt. Moon slowly comes into view, its monstrous size making it seem impossible to get through in one day. _We've done it before, we can do it again!_

I speed my way through the tunnels, careful not to make any more noise than necessary, knowing that if I do, the Zubat will awaken and chase me to the end of the caves. I rush through most of it, and soon the end is only a short distance away. Thankfully, I make it through unscathed, but Pikachu can't say the same, sadly enough. A Zubat found it and almost picked it up off my shoulder, when Pikachu shocked it senseless. It left its small but vampire-like incisions in Pikachu's left ear, so I'm going to have to go to a Pokémon Center as soon as I get in town.

The amazingly plain scenery of Route 4 makes me wonder why Misty loved living so close to such simplicity. She's just so vibrant and full of life that it comes as a quite interesting surprise. Not many trees, and it's pretty bumpy, not to mention it's full of countless hills to ride down. In a few short hours, the lights of Cerulean City begin to sparkle ever so brightly in the distance. _I'm coming Misty. Just you wait!_

I finally arrive when the sun starts sinking under the hilly horizon. I stop at the Pokémon Center first, and wait for about 10 minutes while Nurse Joy patches up Pikachu's ear. I then head over to the Gym, knowing it's already closed. I set my bike against the building, and walk into the main lobby, noticing Daisy at the desk. She doesn't look up, and, assuming I'm just another challenger, says, "Sorry kid, Gym's closed up for the day. Come back tomorrow, when Misty can actually be here to battle you."

"Actually, I just wanted to talk to Misty for a little bit. More like, I _need_ to talk to Misty for a little bit," I say, realizing she probably doesn't recognize my voice, since it's changed since the last time I was here.

"I said come back tomo—" She finally looks up, and recognizes me for the first time that night. "Why if it isn't Ash! My, you've changed a lot! Grown too! The boy who stole our Misty's heart!"

_Huh?_ Apparently I look confused, so she quickly says, "Wait, you haven't seen her yet. I'll let her tell you. She should be at Cerulean Cape if you really _need_ to talk to her. With Chase O'Haze, her exe."

_Oh, so she _has_ had a boyfriend since the last time I saw her._ "Thanks, Daisy."

"No problem; anything for Misty's _friend_." I leave the Gym and sprint down the road to Cerulean Cape. It takes what seems like a lifetime, but I finally make it.

"Misty!" I wave my arms, but she doesn't hear me. Chase clearly sees me, and decides to make his move. He kisses her, er, tries to. She pushes him away, but he keeps trying until he finally lands one.

I turn my head, but I can't help but watch through half-shut eyes. _Here some guy is taking the one I wanted most in life away from me! I should've known this would happen, but I was too stupid to see it!_ It lasts a few seconds, and tears start forming in my eyes. _Why me? Couldn't it be anyone but me? But it had to be me, it just had to._

As it ends, I turn around and run as fast as I can toward the Gym, so I can grab my bike and go. I look back once more, and notice finally she's turned around to see me. She apparently sees the pain I'm feeling, and begins to chase after me as fast as she can. Tears are streaming so fast now that I can't even make out which direction is which anymore, so I just run wherever my legs carry me. _You had your chance, loser! _

_But you let some other guy take her, and it's all your fault! Oh, you must feel so smart right now! Maybe if you'd have noticed sooner you could've stopped this! But it's too late! _As these words fill my gloomy thoughts, the world starts spinning and I tumble to the damp ground beneath me, blacking out almost instantly.


	14. Chapter 14

Misty's POV

_Ash! It really is you! I'm not seeing things!_ I'm running so fast now that my heart's banging against my ribs like they're some kind of cage holding it captive. I finally see Ash in the distance, sprawled out on the ground, apparently having fainted from something.

Chase is behind me for some reason, concern on his face. _Why should he be concerned? The jerk tried to kiss me so I wouldn't see Ash waving at me! It worked, but his suspicious look made me turn, just to see Ash red-faced and teary-eyed, running as fast as his legs could carry him, away from us. Away from me._

I make it to him, and kneel on the ground beside him, noticing the tears that streaked his miserable face. _Oh Ash! Please be okay! Please wake up!_ I check his breathing and pulse, noticing that his vitals are okay, but he won't wake up.

I look into his blank eyes, and wonder why he was crying so hard. He came looking for me; I know that much, but why cry because he saw me with Chase? Suddenly, it clicks, like a belt to its buckle. _He likes me._ That simple sentence changes the rest of my life. Forever.

I turn back, and notice Chase has stopped following._ And good riddance too! _I cradle Ash's head in my hands for what seems like an eternity, and then lean over, ever so slowly, and delicately kiss him. I feel a little jolt course through me as I stop, and know it's so much more than Chase could ever offer. Just that one kiss would be enough to last me a lifetime.

His eyelashes quietly flutter up and down a few times, and then he gently leans up, trying to balance himself. I help him up, and he looks around, apparently confused. "What did I miss? You were just kissing Ch—" I never give him time to finish the sentence, but what I do next definitely surprises me more than it does him. I give him the biggest hug I've ever given anybody, and then kiss him, for real.

It lasts a few seconds, and after it's over, he stares off into space, completely in a daze. "Wow," he finally says, after a few minutes of silence.

"Double wow," I say, agreeing for the first time in ages with the boy I fell so hard for four years ago. Then I slap him. Hard, straight across the face.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"For making me worry like that! Don't you ever black out again on me, Ash Ketchum, you hear?" He nods, rubbing his sore cheek as he winces in pain. We then walk, hand in hand, to the Gym, not really saying anymore, just happy to be with each other once again. When we walk in, Daisy drops everything, comes over, and gives me the biggest hug ever.

"I'm so happy for you," she whispers in my ear, and I nod, thanking her silently. We walk over to the couch, and sit, waiting on who will be brave enough to speak first.

"Well, I guess I don't have to explain why I came all this way, now do I?" Ash says, speaking up first.

"I wouldn't think so…but what about your journey?"

"Oh…that…well, I have to be back in Pallet Town in a matter of five days, or I can't go on my next journey…"

"Then why come all this way, if only to see me for one day?"

"Because, I couldn't stand holding this in any longer…because, I was hoping you'd go with me…because, I care, a lot, about you…"

"Oh, you were going to ask me to come with you? Well, I don't know what to say…"

"I know it's selfish of me to ask you to drop your duties at this Gym just to come with me, but I just can't take it anymore! If I don't ask you, it's gonna torment me night and day for the rest of my life! Please, say yes…"

"I really want to, but I have to think about it at least…when do you have to leave?"

"Early Friday morning, at the latest."

"Well, that's most definitely not much time to think…I promise to give you an answer tomorrow night, and for the next two days you can stay here, in our spare room. Will that be okay?" He nods, a half-smile plastered across his now more angular face. _Wow, Misty. Just look at what you've been missing. He's grown up to be such a great person. Cute, too._

"Uh, one more thing…Where's the spare room at?"

"Don't worry; I'll show you." _Same old quirky Ash. No matter how much he's changed, he'll always be the same old Ashyboy we all know and love. At least, the same old Ashyboy I know and love._ I smile at the thought, and show him to the room he'll be staying in, careful to skip over my room. (It is a mess, after all!) He kisses me good night, and I joyfully skip to my watery sanctum, where I drift off to sleep, dreaming of my hopeful future with the boy of my dreams.


	15. Chapter 15

Ash's POV

"Oh, Pikachu! What a day this has been!" I exclaim, letting all my emotions pour out while they can.

"Pika, pika, pika, pikachu, pika, pika, pi, pi, pikachu! Pi, pika, pika, pi." _Just think, if you hadn't come all this way, you would've never gotten your first kiss! From her, at least._

"I know, and it was more than I could've ever imagined! It just feels so, I dunno, meant to be? Perfect?"

"Pika, pi," _Absolutely._ I look at Pikachu, and he seems so happy for me, but I know he's still heartbroken over having to leave poor Buneary.

"Don't worry, little buddy. We'll see her again; I just know it!"

"Pika, pika," _Yeah, I guess._ I change into my nightclothes and pick up Pikachu. I spin him around a few times, but soon sit down because I get dizzy.

"Love you, Pikachu. Always will, and I hope for now, that'll be enough. It took me four years to find her, er, to realize I had her. You've only just met Buneary last summer, so you have loads of time to see her again. Since Dawn's a Coordinator, I'm sure we'll run into her again.

"We always do. Here, tell you what: If we haven't seen them once before the end of this summer, I promise to take you to Sinnoh myself, just to see little Buneary again. Deal?" He nods, happy with the promise.

"Pika!" _Deal!_

"Now, let's get some well-deserved sleep! I've got a big day planned tomorrow!"


	16. Chapter 16

Misty's POV (Day 4) Thursday

I wake up around eight, noticing my sisters let me sleep in for some reason. _Hmmm, what could they be up to this time?_ I quickly start dressing in my Gym clothes, when I notice a small note folded into a star hanging on my mirror by a strip of clear tape. I peel it off and open the letter, just to find that Ash left it (the out-of-practice crooked handwriting was my first clue.) It read:

Meet me in the Water Stadium at 8:30. Be ready to get wet!

With Love, Your Little Mankey

There's plenty more where that came from, but like I'm gonna tell you everything? I hurriedly dress into my red-and-white swimsuit bikini, and look at my alarm clock, noticing that it's 8:28! I grab my Staryu towel, and quickly head for the door, picking up my red bag along the way. I scurry across the corridor to the Water Stadium, and then begin to wonder why he asked me to come. _There's no Water Show until tomorrow, so why now?_

I walk over to the diving board, and look out toward the empty auditorium, that, every Friday, is crowded with Water Show fans, who come from all of Kanto (and, to a lesser extent, Johto) just to see my sisters (and every once in a while, me!) perform our weekly Water Show. I imagine each face, some eating popcorn or drinking soda, others jumping into their seats clapping when the show is over. However, when I do this, I look at the seat Ash sat in during one of my performances, and imagine him, clapping and cheering, encouraging me the whole time. I suddenly notice that someone is behind me. Thinking it's Ash, I don't bother to turn around. He wraps his arms around my waist, apparently bending over to reach me, which causes me to think, _Now wait a second. Since when did Ash get this much taller than me?_

"Hold your breath," he whispers in my ear, oh so softly. _It's because it isn't him! _I try to break free from his long arms, elbowing Chase O'Haze in the face while I'm doing so. _Hmph, that's what he gets for trying to trick me!_

"Who let you in?" I shriek, biting his arm to make him flinch. He loses focus long enough for me to twist out of his grasp. "Who? I asked you a question, and I expect an answer!"

"I, I came in through your window last night and left the note, knowing you would think it was him!"

"Liar! If you had tried coming through my window, I would have heard the noise you would've made climbing up there and the clatter you would've made landing on the dresser under it! Who?"

"It's the truth, I swear it! I did it, hoping you wouldn't realize it was me. If I had pushed us both in, the water would've made it harder to make out who I am. Then, you, thinking I'm still Ash, would kiss me, and realize I'm the one for you, not him!"

"I still don't believe you. And you can't change my mind. I love him and that's that, so just, go home, Chase! When will you learn? You didn't want me for who I was the first time, and you most definitely aren't getting me the second time, because there is no second time!"

"She's right, Chase, just let her be," I hear a voice say. _Oh thank God Daisy's here!_ "Fine, but you haven't seen the last of me! That I can promise!"

He storms off, leaving me and my sister by ourselves. "Why would he do all this? He knows he can never make me as happy as Ash can. So why?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't answer that; only he can. But, I know he's lying. Ash really did write that note, and he really did put it in your room. He was planning on coming, but he ran late trying to help us by giving his water-types up to help with the Gym today. I knew it would take some time, so I offered to come and tell you he'd be a bit. He did it so you could have the day off, and could spend it with him."

"But if you're right, then how did Chase know I'd be here? How did he know about the note?"

"That, I can't tell you, because I really don't know. Maybe he snuck into your room after you left, noticing you were dressed to go swimming. But that's just a guess, and I don't see how he could've made it to your room. After all, nobody's ever seen it but Violet, Lily, you and me."

"Actually, he has seen it. Once. We were coming home from school, and I had a lot of books, so he carried them in for me and sat them down. So maybe you're right. But that still doesn't explain how he got past you."

"Yes, it does. We were in the arena when he most likely came in, so we would've never seen him."

"Oh. Well, where's Ash now?"

"He's coming, I'm sure. Want me to take you to him?"

"No, I'll wait here. Thanks for asking, though."

"No problem," she replies, smiling. "Just let me know if you need anything, okay?" I nod, and she quietly walks away, leaving me to my puzzling thoughts.

_Why would he do that? He doesn't love me, so unless he's trying to hurt me, I see no other explanation! Well, he's going to be mightily disappointed, because he's_ not_ going to hurt me again! Never ever ever! _As these thoughts torment my wounded heart, I notice Ash is here, wearing his red swimming trunks, and without Pikachu.

He's sitting beside me, patiently, as though waiting for me to say something. I try, but no words come out. Instead, a heartfelt cry escapes my lips, and I slowly lay my head on his shoulder, the tears being more of a burden than I can bear. He says nothing, just wraps his arms around me, and holds me till I can cry no more. When I stop, he dries my tears with his arm, and quietly whispers, "There there now.

"No reason to cry. Daisy told me everything. I know you thought it was me, but hey, how could that guy ever be as cute as me!" He winks, knowing I'm going to laugh. I start to giggle, but soon I start laughing like a hyena, so hard that I almost run out of air and topple over, nearly hitting the floor beneath us.

He quickly catches me, and begins to laugh too! We both end up on the floor afterward, my head on his shoulder again, but not from crying this time. _Oh, Ash, I'd go with you to the ends of the Earth if you'd only let me!_ I wanted to say that so badly, but no matter how hard I push myself, I just can't do it. _He's leaving tomorrow, and I don't even have the guts to say yes! How convenient!_

We sit there for a few minutes, just glad to be with each other, and soon share our somewhat random thoughts. "Do you think he did it out of spite?" I ask, speaking up first this time.

"Nah, he doesn't want to hurt you! I can tell by the look in his eyes that he cares about you! I just don't know why he'd push it so far…Maybe he's doing this in an attempt to win you back. Or maybe he's just doing it in spite of me."

"But why is the big question! If he really wanted me, he would've accepted me in the first place, but noooo I had to look all girly just so he'd ask me out!"

"You? Looking girly? All the time? Now that's something I'd have to see to believe!"

"It's true! I dressed the part and everything, not thinking about the consequences. I was beginning to lose myself, my true being, my sincere essence. All because I wanted a guy to ask me out! How stupid I was!"

"No, if anyone was stupid, it was me. I should've asked you out a long time ago. Then you would've never gone through all this. And for what? A guy you could call your boyfriend? To lose yourself, just for that?

"Now, I dunno about you, but that doesn't seem like a fair deal to me. Why not find somebody who'll love you just the way you are, so you wouldn't have to give everything up about yourself just to be with him?"

"I think I already have," I reply, realizing how true these words are.

He looks confused at first, then says, as if just comprehending it, "Oh, you mean me."

I laugh again, and reply, "Yes, My Little Mankey, I mean you!" I playfully shove him in the side, and he topples over, hitting the floor with a loud _thud_. "Oops, guess I don't know my own strength," I say, shrugging my shoulders with a big smile plastered across my face.

"Better watch out, because this Mankey's about to evolve into a big mean Primeape!" He winks, and starts chasing me out, onto the diving board.

I jump, but not before he loses his balance and crashes into me, making us both land in the water with a _splash!_ _You crazy, crazy boy._ I swim up, and spray him in the face with water. He grabs me by my legs, and picks me up onto his back. "Oh no you don't! If I'm going down, you're going down with me!" He says, leaning back, causing me to be completely submerged in water.

I quickly rise to the surface, and, finally remembering Pikachu isn't here, ask, "By the way, where's Pikachu?"

He comes up out of the water, and answers, saying, "He volunteered to help your sisters, so I let him. He said we needed some 'alone time', so I consented." _Alone Time?_

Apparently I look confused, because he quickly adds, "Don't ask me what he meant by that. I'm just repeating what I was told."

I nod, satisfied enough with his answer, and finally realize what Pikachu meant. _Oh, that. He didn't want to interrupt in case something happened, like Ash kissing me or something, right? Right? Please say I'm right!_

He looks at me innocently, then swims over to me until we're face-to-face. He kisses me, soft and smooth, and I kiss back. He soon backs away, looking straight into my eyes as he speaks up. "Now, to get to what I wanted to ask you. I seem to understand that I haven't asked you out yet. So, would you, Misty of the Sensational Sisters, like to go on a date with yours truly? Anywhere in or around the city that you like, and I mean it. We could take a bike ride through town, maybe get something to eat, or head on over to Cerulean Cape. Your call."

_Hmmm, the bike ride's tempting, but not totally sure. Something to eat? Also enticing, but I'm not really in the mood for food right about now. Cerulean Cape is best to go to at sunset, so maybe later. Aha! I've got it!_

"Why sure, Ash, we can do all those things, _if_ you'll battle me first!"

"Sure, I'll battle you, but I gotta warn you, I've gotten stronger since our last match. And don't think I'm gonna go easy on you just because this is a date!"

"Couldn't dream of it any other way," I reply, a mischievous smile dancing its way across my lips._ This should be interesting._


	17. Chapter 17

Ash's POV

_Great, a battle with Misty. Not exactly what I planned, but I'm not gonna lose to her so easily! Not this time!_ First, we run to the Pokémon Center so I can pick the Pokémon out that I'll be using. _Well, let's see…which Pokémon to use? _

_Pikachu's a great choice, but I left him at the gym…I know! Torterra would be a perfect match! If she uses Corsola, that is. Maybe Bulbasaur too…perhaps even Bayleef. That's just my grass-types though._

_ Maybe using Noctowl, my flying-type, or Gible, my dragon-type, would work. Definitely no fire-types, or I'd be out of the battle as soon as it started. Aha! I've got the perfect idea! _I quickly pick the ones I'll use, and leave the Pokémon Center, victory being the first and only thing on my mind.

We ride over on our bikes to the clearing with the small pond in Route 4 and the battle ensues. The rules are simple: three-on-three, both sides may substitute Pokémon. Yeah, simple enough, right? "I choose you, Bulbasaur!" And out pops my faithful blue-and-green grass-type. I knew I could count on him to win this!

"Hm, good choice. Okay, I choose you, Gyarados!" Oh yeah, she got over her fear of Gyarados and even caught one. Lucky me to have the opportunity to battle against this blue monstrosity. Here goes nothing.

"Gyarados, use Flamethrower on Bulbasaur!" Suddenly a stream of bright orange flames shoots out of his mouth, aiming straight for my two-foot-four-inch Pokémon, making it near impossible for the move to miss. Especially since the flames are about twice as big as Bulbasaur anyway. _What am I going to do? I can't lose this early in the match! Aha!_

"Bulbasaur, jump up, now!" Fully trusting that I'll keep him safe and know exactly what I'm doing, he leaps a good four feet in the air. He dodges safely, except for the flames that managed to graze his right hind leg. "Are you okay?"

"Bulbasaur!" _Yeah! I'm fine!_

"Great! Now, Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf and aim straight for his head!" And out comes razor sharp leaves, banging one after the other against the Gyarados's tough skin. "Keep going, Bulbasaur, wear him down!"

"Sorry, Ash, but I'm not losing this! Gyarados, use Aqua Tail now!" Gyarados sweeps his water-emanating tail across the field, sending little Bulbasaur flying through the air.

"No! Bulbasaur! Vine Whip and grab onto something before you crash into that tree!" He swiftly obeys, wrapping his long green vines around the biggest boulder he can reach. "Now, use it as a slingshot and throw yourself onto Gyarados's back!"

He propels himself back into the air, heading straight for where Gyarados was standing, er, swimming. He lands on top of Gyarados's head, who's trying desperately to shake off the little seed Pokémon.

"Well, I'll admit, you always had a knack for surprising your opponent. Gyarados, use Dive!" Gyarados dives under the water, so Bulbasaur jumps off before he can take him under with him.

"Bulbasaur, keep on the lookout for his shadow!" But before Bulbasaur even has time to react, Gyarados lunges out of the water and smashes into him, knocking Bulbasaur out.

"One down, two to go! You did awesome, Gyarados," Misty exclaims, returning the gigantic water Pokémon back into its Poké ball.

"Bulbasaur, you did great. Return," I say, sighing in defeat. "This isn't over yet, Mist! I choose you, Gible!" I send my only dragon-type out and onto the field. The pudgy dark blue Pokémon with a fin that resembles a shark's on his head jumps with joy, ready to fight his next opponent.

"Good…choice? Alright then, go, Politoed!" Out comes a green frog with a yellow swirl on his belly, jumping around and clapping his little yellow hands in complete elation.

"Gible, use Dig now!" Gible digs down into the ground, strong and determined to win this round in our battle.

"Politoed, focus on where he is, and then counterattack with Headbutt!" He easily senses where Gible is, and uses Headbutt right where he pops out, nailing him on the head. What she doesn't realize though, is that my Gible has Rough Skin, hurting Politoed as well.

"Gible, get up and use Draco Meteor!" _Gosh, I hope it works this time!_ See, Gible's Draco Meteor doesn't always work like it's supposed to. Sometimes it malfunctions, creating only a little spark instead of a bunch of blazing meteors, and the spark never fails to hit Piplup whenever he's near. Gible builds up the attack and launches a bright ball of light into the air, and I'm praying with all my might that it isn't just another fluke.

Thankfully, the move succeeds, causing a mini meteor shower all across the battlefield. Politoed looks up in awe, but quickly snaps out of it when he gets hit on the head with one of the falling meteors. Misty also looks amazed, but masks it and instead issues another attack. "Politoed, dodge the meteors and use Bubble!" Billions of tiny bubbles are shot out of Politoed's mouth, heading straight in Gible's direction.

"Gible, dodge and use Dragon Pulse!" By then, the small meteor shower had ended. A bright blue beam emerged from Gible's ginormous maw, hitting Politoed with ease, and knocking him out on the spot.

"Politoed, return, you did well. Come back out, Gyarados, and finish Gible off with Dragon Tail!" _Snap, she knows Gible's weakness!_ Gyarados whips his long tail out once again and sends Gible flying across the field. He lands on the ground with a _thud!_ and faints within seconds.

"I'm not giving up yet! Return, Gible, you did your best. I choose you, Noctowl!" This Pokémon is actually a lot different from the rest of his kind. He's a shiny one, reddish instead of completely brown, and is unusually small and intelligent.

"Well, see you still have that Noctowl you battled on the way to Goldenrod City," Misty says, attempting to distract me by making conversation.

"Yeah, and he's learned some new moves. Noctowl, Sky Attack, now!" He bursts into a bright flaming yellow light, heading straight for Misty's Gyarados. He hits Gyarados pretty hard, making the Pokémon flinch.

"Now, Gyarados, use Hydro Pump!" He shoots water toward Noctowl, but Noctowl's just too quick. It misses, instead splitting a rock in two with its incredible power.

"Noctowl, Hypnosis to make Gyarados fall asleep!"

"Oh no you don't! Gyarados, dodge and use Thunderbolt!" He shocks Noctowl pretty badly, injuring his left wing.

"Hang in there, Noctowl! Use Roost!" He recovers enough health to fly again, and starts flying in confusing patterns, making it hard for Gyarados to figure out where he's going. "Now, Noctowl, use Extrasensory!" His eyes glow unnervingly as an unseen force strikes Gyarados in the side, finally knocking the Atrocious Pokémon out.

"Looks like the battle's evening out, don't you think?"

"Don't count your Torchic before they hatch, Ash Ketchum! This isn't over yet! Not by far! Go, Staryu!" And out comes a tan star-shaped Pokémon with a red gem in its center.

_This should be easy._ Boy, I don't know how wrong I am.


	18. Chapter 18

Misty's POV

"Staryu, use Power Gem on Noctowl!" The gem in its center sparkles, shooting out a bright white light heading straight for the shiny owl. It crashes into the Pokémon, sending him flying clear across the field.

"Noctowl, no! Use Roost once more!" As Noctowl is busy recovering, I get ready to use my next move.

"Hail, Staryu, then Rapid Spin!" Clouds form, and hail suddenly begins to fall, pelting Ash's Noctowl with potato-sized ice chunks. Staryu lashes out with Rapid Spin, hitting Noctowl square in the chest. He crashes onto the ground, hanging on by the skin of his cheek.

"Noctowl, hang in there and use Air Slash!" Noctowl weakly attempts the move, scratching Staryu's gem up and making its light begin to flicker.

"Staryu, Ice Beam to finish him off!" A beam of ice hits Noctowl head on, knocking it out once and for all. Ash stares ahead, looking appalled that he'd just lost against his _date_.

"Return, Noctowl, you did well. A trainer couldn't be more proud." He sighs in defeat and crosses over to meet me.

"Staryu, I'm so proud of you! We won!" I hug the Star Shape Pokémon tightly, and finally return it when Ash makes it here.

"Well, it was a good battle. You win fair and square," he says, looking up and smiling crazily at me. Yes, that smile got me every time.

"Yeah."

"But next time you won't have a chance!" he exclaims, winking at me. _Guess I didn't bruise his pride too badly, _I think as I let out a laugh.

"So, what do I win?" He looks at me sort of confused until he figures out my prize.

"Hm…how about this?" And before I know it, his lips make their way to mine. When he pulls back, I look at him as if to say "What now?"

"I thought I heard something," he replies, looking around to see if he can spot the thing he'd heard.

"What did it sound like?" I ask, knowing I hadn't heard a thing from the blood rushing to my ears as my heart banged noisily inside my ribcage.

"Well, it sounded kind of like a bike's tires squeaking, but oh well. Guess it was my imagination."

"Bet that brings back memories, huh?" I ask, seeing if he still remembers what Pikachu had done to my bike when I'd first met them.

"Yeah, I was kind of hoping you'd forgotten about that," Ash answers, scratching his head. I look to my left and notice a bike popping into view. _Looks like he was right after all._

"Ash, do you see the—"

"Mhmm. Sure do."

"It doesn't look like it's from around here though."

"That's because it's made in Sinnoh," he replies as he squints to see who's riding it. It's hot pink, and on the trainer I notice a blue blob on her left shoulder. At least, I'm guessing it's a _her_, since the bike is pink. But who knows, these days? Whoever it is definitely isn't watching where she is going, because she's driving full speed ahead and heading straight for Ash!

"Ash, watch out! She's about to—" _Wham! _Oops, I was a bit too late. She's crashed straight into my raven-haired knucklehead. _Great. I hope they're alright. _"Hey, are you okay?" I ask the girl, helping her up off my _date._

"Uh, yeah, I think so," she replies, dusting her black and pink outfit off and combing her fingers through her dark blue hair as she repins it. She has bright blue eyes and big pink boots. "Wait, didn't you have something on your—"

"Oh no! Where did Piplup go? Piplup!"

"Piplup, pip." _Ouch. That hurt._

_So it was a water-type Pokémon I saw on her shoulder!_ Ash is still on the ground, rubbing his eyes and dusting himself off. When he looks up, he apparently recognizes who ran into him. "Dawn?"

"Yeah, that's me. Wait, how do you know my—" she looks over at him for the first time and also realizes who it is. "Ash! I just knew I'd see you again! But I thought you were going to Unova this summer?" she asks, looking over at me in confusion.

"You must be the Misty that gave him that special lure! I promise, that kid never let it out of his sight! He wouldn't even let me use it to try and catch a Pokémon with!"

"Well, it wasn't yours to use, and you did have your own lure. And I _am _going to Unova this summer. I just had to come visit someone first. Someone very special," Ash points out, getting up and walking over to stand by me. I blush slightly when I realize he's talking about me.

"How sweet. And not really the point, but oh well. I never could get through that thick head of yours anyway."

"Who can?" I ask rhetorically, laughing along with her as Ash looks at us in mock sadness.

"You're right there. So, Ash, where's Pikachu? I think Buneary would really like to see him before we head off."

"Oh yeah, reminding me, why are you here? And when did you get a new bike?" he asks randomly. "Oh, and Pikachu stayed behind to help the Cerulean Sisters with the Gym today."

"I came because I'm on my newest journey, duh. There's a contest in Cerulean City that I've entered in. And I got a new one after Pikachu totaled mine! Or have you forgotten?"

"Oh" was all Ash had to say to that.

"No way, Pikachu did the same exact thing to my bike! So, you're a coordinator?" I ask. Ash never mentioned travelling with such and a bubbly, upbeat girl. Though, it has only been a day, so I guess I understand.

"Wow, just goes to show that you can't keep a bike around that little electric terror," she says, winking at Ash comically. "But yep, I sure am. And a Pokémon fashion designer!" she exclaims, beaming a huge smile our way. She seems like a very worry-free girl.

"Well, I'm sure you're going to win it! Got any ribbons yet?"

"Sadly, no. We entered one over in Viridian a few days ago, but we lost to Kenny."

"Oh yeah! How's Kenny these days?" Ash asks, recognizing the name.

"Oh," she answers, blushing slightly. "He's fine. Better than ever, actually."

"And his Empoleon?"

"Healthier than ever!" she exclaims, still grinning from ear to ear.

"That's great news. Did you ever…?" he asks, trailing off with his somewhat embarrassing question.

"Uhhh, yeah. Been going almost a month now! He asked me out two weeks before school got out!" _Oh, so _that's_ who Kenny is._

"Wow, Dawn, I'm happy for you! And good luck in the contest! Is it today?"

"Yeah, and aw, thanks, Ash! As I always say—"

"'No need to worry!'" they finished in unison as they high-fived. They seemed to be really close, like she was a little sister to him. I'll admit, it kind of makes me jealous that she got to see him every day back when he travelled in Sinnoh, but somehow I know she'd never try to take him away from me. Clearly she's in love with that kid named Kenny.

"Um, where is Kenny, then?" he asks as he looks around for yet another bike that could come crashing into him again.

"Oh, he decided to go on foot, so he'll be a while."

"Ah, well, I did promise Pikachu I'd let him see Buneary again, so why not come on over to the Water Stadium and visit until contest time? I'm sure he'd love you forever if you did!"

"He would, would he? Hm, I suppose. But only because Pikachu wants me to," she replies, winking at him playfully.

"You don't mind, do you Misty? I'll take you to see the contest, and then Cerulean Cape to watch the sunset. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great," I answer, smiling slightly as I think about the upcoming evening.

"Well then, let's get going! Or else we won't make it in time!" He jumps on his bike, and I get on behind him. Dawn scrambles to get onto hers, and before we know it, we're heading back to the Water Stadium.


	19. Chapter 19

Ash's POV

"I can't believe it's really Dawn! I haven't seen her since last summer! See, Pikachu fell for her Buneary the day we'd left, and he's been lovesick for her since. I just knew it was her when I saw that big blue blob on her shoulder. It was Piplup, her starter Pokémon that never wanted to evolve. Just like Pikachu."

We've been riding for about five minutes, already nearing the edge of town. It's nearly eleven now, and the contest begins at two. That gives Pikachu three hours to see Buneary before the show. We finally arrive at the Water Stadium, and just as we walk in I notice they have a challenger. It's Nando!

He's this wandering minstrel guy who decided to become both a coordinator and a trainer back in Sinnoh. He has long black hair and is wearing a green hat and cape. He always has his golden Mew harp with him and loves to play it wherever he goes. Right now, his Roserade is fighting against _my_ Buizel. "Nando!" I call over to him, wondering if he realizes whose Pokémon he's battling.

He turns to look at me and smiles, saying, "I knew that Buizel looked familiar! If it isn't Ash! Long time no see!" He looks back at his battle and commands Roserade to use Magical Leaf and finish Buizel off.

"Buizel, Aqua Jet!" Violet calls out, apparently the opponent for this match. Buizel grudgingly does as he's told, enveloping himself in a Jetstream of water and heading straight for Nando's Roserade.

"Aha! Here's your chance, Roserade! Jump and use Mega Drain to finish him off!" Roserade jumps out of the way and starts to glow, sapping away the rest of Buizel's dwindling health and finally knocking him out.

"Buizel is unable to battle, Roserade wins the match!" Lily announces, apparently the ref this time. "The Gym Leader is out of usable Pokémon; the victory goes to the challenger!"

"I must say, that was quite a battle. Splendid job, Roserade," Nando says, plucking at his Mew-shaped harp.

"Yes, it was. Here, the Cascade Badge, to prove that you've won against us. You deserve it," Violet replies, holding out the teardrop-shaped badge for Nando to receive.

"Thank you, lovely lady, and I'm afraid I must be off. Have to get ready for the next contest. I'll see you there, Dawn. Good luck, as always."

"You too, Nando!" Dawn calls after him and waves as he walks away singing. "That was our friend from Sinnoh, Misty. We helped him decide to be both a coordinator and a trainer. Right, Ash?"

"Mhmm, I actually battled against him in the Lily of the Valley Conference and won." I smile, thinking back on that. Good times. "Oh, is Pikachu around? I have someone he needs to meet."

"Uh, yeah, he's at the main desk with Daisy helping her greet the challengers," Lily says, pointing in that direction. "Do I need to go get him?"

"Nah, I will. Thanks." I run over to the main desk, where Daisy's sitting there, filing the nails on her left hand. "Is Pikachu in here?"

"Pika?" _Yeah?_ He asks, peeking up over the desktop.

"Ash, what are you doing back so early? You're supposed to be on your _date_ with Misty! And who's this that's with you? Another challenger?"

"Uh—"

"No, it's Dawn. She's a coordinator who came to enter the contest today. She has a Pokémon that's been waiting to see Pikachu all year."

"Yeah, come on out, Buneary!" She throws out the bunny-like Pokémon, and as soon as she sees Pikachu, she scurries straight over to him and gives him a humungous hug.

"Pika, pi, pikachu!" _I can't believe it's you, Buneary!_

"Bun, Buneary!" _It is! Long time no see!_

"Pika, pi." _That's for sure._ They hug again, and before long they're off in their own little world.

"And Piplup, why don't you return a little while? Give them some time to themselves?"

"Pip—" _But_—

"No buts this time! I promise, I'll let you out right before the contest, deal?" Piplup nods reluctantly, and soon he goes straight back into his Poké ball. "So…you two are finally together? It took long enough, I'll say!" Dawn exclaims, looking from me to Misty as she beams one of her super huge smiles at us.

"Wait, why do you say that? You didn't exactly know me up until like ten minutes ago, when you ran into Ash." Hm, still hasn't called me her boyfriend. Though technically, I'm not. Yet, anyway.

"Well, it sure felt like I did. Ash did mention you _quite_ a bit on our journey. He never said he liked you, but it was pretty plain to see, now that I think back on it," she replies, looking at Misty and shrugging her shoulders.

"Hey, did not!"

"Did so! At night when we were laying down for bed you always used to tell stories about your past adventures, especially the ones with Misty! Or don't you remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. Brock told them too, you know!"

"But his were all about Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny or some other girl of his dreams," Dawn says, giving me a blank look and sighing quietly. "You always were oblivious to your own feelings."

"Hey!"

"Well, it is kind of true," Misty remarks, starting to laugh about how worked up she and Dawn are making me. "I did have to chase you for almost four years, you know." Ouch, that kind of hurts.

"Yeah…that was my fault. I didn't realize how much I liked you then. Kind of like how Pikachu didn't realize how much he liked Buneary."

"Speaking of which, where did they run off to?" Dawn asks, looking around for the two lovebugs.

"Ummm, not sure. Daisy, have you seen them?"

"Nope, Ash, sorry. They ran off a few minutes or so ago." Not the answer I'm hoping for.

"Great, they probably went to look around the city."

"Oh, we have to go find them, Ash! What if Team Rocket—"

"They're not here, Dawn. Trust me."

"They're still chasing after you, Ash? They just won't give up, will they?"

"Apparently not, Mist. And don't worry Dawn, I trust Pikachu not to get lost around here."

"Okay, if you say so," replies Dawn, still looking slightly worried.

"If it helps, they probably went to Cerulean Cape. A lot of people go there with their dates around here," Misty tells her, smiling as she recalls some of the times I'm sure she's been there with Chase. I shudder, not wanting to even think about him right now.

"But aren't there usually a bunch of trainers out th—" She elbows me in the side, knowing what I'm about to say.

"Ouch! I mean, never mind…" I trail off, hoping Dawn will ignore what I was about to mention. Of course she doesn't though.

"Wait, what were you going to say, Ash?" I sigh. _Might as well go ahead and tell her._

"I was going to say there are usually a lot of trainers there too."

"What? I don't want anyone Poké-napping my Buneary! We have to go get them now!"

"But Pikachu can take care of her just fi—"

"I said now, Ash Ketchum, and I mean it! I'm going to find my Buneary, and you're coming with me, whether you like it or not!" I sigh as she grabs my hand and nearly drags me to the door.

Misty follows close behind and says, "I'll come too. Maybe I could help find them."

"Thanks, Misty. We'll need all the help we can get. Now come on, you guys! The contest will be starting soon!" So here we go, chasing after two Pokémon who may or may not even want to be found.


	20. Chapter 20

Misty's POV

Well, she's sweet, but for someone who says "No need to worry" all the time, she sure does have a knack for worrying. We're almost to Cerulean Cape, when I spot someone I'd never hoped to see again. At least, not anytime soon. I try to turn my head so he won't see me, but apparently fail miserably when he calls my name across the bridge. "MISTY!"

He gets closer and closer until he reaches us, and when he notices who I'm with, he glares over at Ash and looks curiously at Dawn.

"Who's the pretty girl with the blue hair?"

"Um…" Dawn mumbles, blushing slightly.

"This is Dawn, a friend of Ash's. And don't even bother; she's got a boyfriend," I reply, already knowing what he's about to ask.

"Hey, can't a guy say a girl's pretty? That's not a crime, is it?"

"No, but it is when you say it," I answer, giving him my iciest look possible.

"Fine, I see how it is," Chase complains, giving me the cold shoulder. "Might as well just give up talking to you, now that _he's_ back."

"Might as well!"

"Fine then, you can count on it!" he exclaims, turning to stomp away. _Good riddance!_

"I hate to burst your little victory bubble Misty, but he honestly could've just helped us find our missing Pokémon," Ash sighs, knowing he's going to get an earful for telling me this.

"Well, he shouldn't have ticked me off!" I snap, still angry at Chase for acting the way he did.

"Geez, Mist. Sooorry. It's not like _I'm_ the one you should be mad at!" he snaps back, his temper flaring like it normally did when I yelled at him.

"Oh yeah? Maybe you shouldn't have said anything in the first place! Maybe Chase, one of the best things that had ever happened to me, would still be here, if you'd just stayed out of my head, out of my heart, and most importantly, out of my life!" I scream, immediately regretting my words.

"Is that really what you think?" he asks, his voice breaking as he struggles to get the question out. I can tell that what I've just screamed pierces his heart with the worst kind of arrow: a vile, deadly, poisonous one.

"No, Ash, I-I—"

"Well, if that's really how you feel, then maybe I never should have come at all. Go on, have your happy little life with Chase, I won't be a pest anymore." The tears are streaming down his face now, and every little one pricks my heart until it seems to shatter into a million tiny pieces right before my very eyes. _What have I just said? I didn't mean it, Ash! _I want to scream, but the words won't form themselves on my lips.

Before I can get the courage up to speak again, he runs off, just like he did last night. I start to chase after him, but Dawn holds her arm out to stop me. "Let me through! I have to tell him, I just have to!"

"No, Misty. I know you want to take back every mean word you've just said, but I also know he's going to keep running if he sees you trying to catch him. I know you want to fix it, but you'll only make it worse by going after him."

"But I can't just let him go! Not after waiting for him for four years! No…Not like this!"

"I know, Misty. I know. That's why I'm going to find him. Please, keep looking for Pikachu and Buneary for me. Meet us at the contest at one-thirty, okay?" I nod, also starting to cry my eyes out over what had just happened.

She begins to walk off, but stops a few seconds later, asking, "And Misty?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't ever forget what I always say: No need to worry." A smile plays at her lips as she turns once again and heads off to find Ash.

_Great, a perfect day gone disastrously wrong. It was supposed to be about the boy of my dreams, but ended up being about getting over the boy of my nightmares. _I shudder. Hey, Chase may not be the "boy of my nightmares," but he comes pretty close. What I still don't understand though, is why I said what I did to Ash.

_Oh well, too late to change the past. Now, what to do for the next hour-and-a-half…_


	21. Chapter 21

Ash's POV

_How could she say all that? Why did I even bother…? _I run until I make it to Cerulean Cape's edge, when I spot Bill's house. _Nah, he probably isn't even home_. He's the creator of the PC boxes we trainers store our Pokémon in. He's also the biggest Pokémon fanatic alive.

I notice a boulder over by his house though, a boulder that almost beckons me to come sit on it. I instead find the softest patch of grass by the fence overlooking the sea and sit down there, feet dangling off the edge of the cliff as I stare into the calm waters. Definitely more peaceful than my life right now, which is currently spiraling wildly beyond my control. I look up and see Dawn, coming over to sit beside me. _Where is Misty? _I want to ask.

As if understanding what I'm trying to voice, she says, "Misty's still out looking for Pikachu and Buneary. I told her it'd be best if I came and found you, since I figured you might still be mad. Why, did you want her to come instead?" _Yes, _I want to scream so badly. _Yes, I did!_

"Well…kind of…it's okay though…I guess."

"I'm sorry. If I'd have known…Anyway, she wanted you to know she didn't mean a word she'd said. It broke her heart to see you that upset," she answers, swinging her legs back and forth over the ledge.

"I know she didn't say it on purpose, but if she hated seeing me so upset, why would she say such a thing?" I ask, my heart aching for an answer to her cruelty on it.

"I-I really don't know, Ash. Maybe her temper did it. Maybe they just came out, I don't know. But I know she regrets it and wishes she could take it all back." We sit there in silence for an eternity it seems, doing nothing but staring out at the clear blue waves.

Dawn is the first to speak up again. "You know, I kind of always liked you." _Say WHAT? Where's this coming from? This can't be right!_

She doesn't notice my alarm and continues with her confession. "The way you always encourage me and make me laugh. The way your eyes glint when you're challenged to a battle. How you speak. How you treat your Pokémon. Everything, really.

"I always wanted to know what it'd feel like to be yours. And once, just once, do this." She leans over to me till we're nose to nose. I want to back away, to say that no, I'm in love with Misty, but my body won't let me. To tell the truth, I always kind of liked her too, but she just doesn't make me feel the way Misty does. Nobody does.

Finally, she kisses me, and surprisingly enough, I find myself kissing her back. No spark like with Misty though. I pull away, and she, as if reading my thoughts, says, "It isn't the same, is it?"

I shake my head. "Nope, not at all. Sorry." I get up to walk away, but she follows me anyway.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. After all, I'm dating Kenny, and you…you're in love with someone else."

"I know. That's why I'm going to find her."

"But wait, at least let me come help. I know what it felt like, Ash. To realize there's just no spark like there is with that special someone. I felt the same exact way." I turn to her, realizing that she's telling the truth, and think about it for a moment.

I finally nod, saying, "Yeah, come on. You are still my friend, you know. Where did you two agree to meet?"

"At the contest at one-thirty." I look at my watch and notice that that means I've got another hour to wait.

"But that's an hour from now! I have to go find her!" She shakes her head, laughing at me.

"Same old hasty Ash."

"Hey, I may be hasty, but at least I'm not a Slowpoke like someone I know! Now come on!" I drag Dawn by the arm this time, running straight for the gym, straight to where I know she'll be waiting for me.


	22. Chapter 22

Misty's POV

"Well, I don't believe you! So you can just forget it! You've already caused enough trouble in my life!" I scream at Chase as he slowly backs away from me.

"Look, I can't make you believe me, but I'm just trying to protect you! I don't want your heart broken again by that kid!" He's trying to make me believe that Ash kissed Dawn after she left to go find him.

"But she was simply trying to get him not to be mad at me anymore! Give me one good reason why they'd do something like that, and I just might consider it."

"Because, maybe Dawn likes Ash? You said yourself, she is his friend, after all. Maybe she wanted it to become something more, but wouldn't admit it until she could get you to go away." I stand there, speechless. He has a point, but then, why would Ash give in unless he…? No, it turns my stomach just to think about it.

He'd never do something like that to me. "Fine, whatever. Just don't come crying to me when you find out your little lover boy really is a cheater." He walks off, angry once again at me, the girl who'd supposedly captured his heart. I shake my head, trying not to believe a word he's said.

_But what if he's telling the truth? _I forced myself not to question it anymore, and instead occupied myself by searching the Gym for Pikachu and Buneary. After leaving my room what seems like the fiftieth time, I finally spot a little yellow tail sticking out at the corner of the end of the hall. "Pikachu!" I scream, running over to the little yellow rodent.

"Pikachu, pika, pika!" _Crap, she found us!_

"Buneary, bun. Bun, bun, Buneary!" _Go on, just tell her the truth!_

"Pika, pika, pikachu! Pika, pika, pi!" _No way! I'm not going to snitch on Ash!_

"Wait, what does he mean by snitching on Ash, Buneary? He can't possibly mean—"

"Buneary, bun." _Well, if you don't I am._

"Pika, pi." _Fine, you win. _They turn to face me, and Pikachu starts his confession. I'll just translate this time. "_We were walking around Cerulean Cape and spotted Ash. We walked over to let him know we were there, but before we could get there, Dawn planted one on him. I swear, Ash had nothing to do with it!"_

"_Oh yes he did," _Buneary retorts. "_Dawn may have kissed him, but he's the one who made no move to stop her!"_

"_Fine,"_ Pikachu sighs.

"But…This can't be right! Chase came and told me the exact same thing…I can't believe it. I don't want to, but now I know it's true. How could he do this to me?" I ask rhetorically, my eyes starting to tear up as I wipe them on my arm.

_I'm not going to cry! Not this time!_ "Please, Pikachu, tell me it isn't true!"

"Pika, pika, pikachu." _I'm sorry, Misty, but I'm not going to lie to you._

"Buneary, bun!" _I'm sorry, Misty!_ Buneary cries, letting me know that despite her loyalty to Dawn, she cares about me being with Ash.

"I-It's fine, you guys. I'll be okay. We've been looking everywhere for you though! Where did you run off to?"

"Pika…pika, pikachu!" _Umm…nowhere in particular!_ Realizing they probably aren't going to tell me, I slump down against the wall and lay my head down, wanting nothing more than for my heartbreak to go away and for this all to be a lie.


	23. Chapter 23

Ash's POV

We finally make it to the gym and find Misty slumped down against a wall, crying her eyes out. Pikachu and Buneary are there, trying to comfort her, and when they notice us, nearly everything starts to fall apart. Buneary glares at us like we're first-degree murderers and Pikachu just sighs and shakes his head in disapproval. When she finally looks up, she notices us, and almost immediately her expression changes. "Why are _you_ here?" she hisses, startling me with the distaste in her voice.

"I came to find you, Misty. Why else?"

"Oh, don't give me that crap, Ash! Why? Why did you even bother to show up? Why did you do it, even though you knew it'd break my heart? Answer me!"

"Misty, first off, what the heck are you talking about? Second, calm dow—"

"I will _not_ calm down, Ash Ketchum! And you know exactly what you did! Don't even try to hide it!" she exclaims, standing up and staring me down like a Staraptor chasing after its prey.

"Wait, you don't mean…?" I sigh, finally realizing what she's talking about. "But how in the world did you find out?"

"Let's just say a little Taillow told me! Geez, and to think I was about to say yes to you, you sorry no-good cheater!"

"But, Misty! Please, just let me explain!"

"No, Ash, I think I've heard enough. It's over, and I mean _over_. Don't bother trying, Ash, if all you're going to do is break my heart into even tinier pieces than it's already in." She sighs, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"But—"

"I said don't bother, now leave me alone!" She sprints away, heading for her room, shutting and locking the door behind her.

"Dang it, Dawn, why do I even try? All I do is mess up every time!"

"No, this time it wasn't even you. It was my fault, and I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for all this to happen, honest!"

"I know you didn't. Well, guess you'd better head on over to the contest. I'll be over there in a bit, I promise. I just have something I need to take care of first." She nods, returning Buneary to her Poké ball and starting to walk away. I pick up Pikachu, who perches himself on my left shoulder, and head to Route 4, where I know I can find the perfect thing to ask for forgiveness with. Well, to cheer her up a bit, at least.


	24. Chapter 24

Misty's POV

"Ugh, what did I ever see in that kid? All he's done is made my life miserable, one way or another!" _And here I am, talking to myself like the lovestruck idiot I've become._ I hear a tap on the door, and thinking it's Ash, I exclaim, "I said go away, Ash! Can't you hear?"

"I-It isn't Ash. Could I come in?" _Dawn. What the heck does she want? She's already taken the one I care about most away from me! I have nothing else to give her!_ I start to say no, but she speaks up again before I can.

"I know you don't want to talk to me, but Buneary really wants to see you." I think about it for a minute, and finally relent, finding that I kind of wanted to see the little rabbit too.

"Fine," I sigh, scratching my head and rolling my eyes up at the ceiling. The door clicks open, and in walk the two, first Buneary, then Dawn.

"Buneary, bun?" _Misty, are you okay?_

"Nope, afraid I'm not, Buneary. I will be though. Maybe." Buneary looks up at me, staring straight into my eyes, and immediately, something clicks to her. She understands me.

"Bun, bun, bun, Buneary! Buneary, bun, Buneary!" _I'm sorry Ash broke your heart! I know he didn't mean to!_

"I'm sure he didn't, Buneary, but it's too late now."

"Bun, bun, bun?" _You sure about that?_

"Yeah, I guess." I sigh, not really sure of the answer myself. We sit in silence a few moments, when Buneary decides to pipe up again.

"Buneary, bun, buneary?" _Are you still coming to the contest?_

"Of course, Buneary! I wouldn't miss seeing you perform even if the whole city went up in flames!" Buneary smiles and jumps up and down, apparently very excited to hear the news. Dawn's still standing in the doorway, not even attempting to make eye contact with me. What surprises me most though, is the fact that she hasn't left to go be with Ash yet.

I mean, if he left me for her, he should be spending time _with_ her, right? Where is he, I wonder? "You know, it wasn't his fault," she states, looking like she's about to pass out from fear of what I'll say back. She quickly continues, knowing I'll speak up if she doesn't. "I'm the one you should be mad at.

"I kissed him. I'm the one who pushed him into it, and I'm sorry. Just please, please don't be mad at him. I never meant for any of this to happen. I just wanted to know what it would've felt like! I'm so sorry, Misty. I really truly am."

She's near tears now, but quickly forces them back. I look over at her, touched that she would take up for him like that. Now _that_ is what a true friend is about. I sigh, feeling my heart break slightly more as I answer her. "Look, I know you feel like this is your fault. Yes, you may have made the first move, but that still doesn't take away from the fact that he kissed you back. He never made a move to stop you, now did he?"

"Well," she begins, thinking back on what had happened. "Actually, he did. As soon as I did it, while I'll admit he did kiss back, he backed away, knowing full well that what he'd just done was a big mistake." Well, there's one thing I didn't know that Buneary and Pikachu never told me. They probably didn't see it though, or I'm sure Pikachu would've mentioned it, considering he didn't even want to "snitch" on Ash in the first place.

"He really loves you, Misty, and while he may not have ever mentioned it, he'd never mean to do anything to hurt you, especially something like this. And if I know you at all, then I have a feeling you love him that much too. Just please, give him another chance. He may not deserve it, but you do." I lean back against my bed's headboard and stare up at the ceiling, doing nothing but thinking about what should come next. Dawn doesn't say anymore, just gestures for Buneary to come on, and walks out of the room, nodding to me as she leaves.

_Now what am I going to do?_ I think as the door shuts behind her. _Should I really forgive him for this, and give him another chance? I really do love him…_


	25. Chapter 25

Ash's POV

It's been nearly twenty minutes, and Pikachu still hasn't spoken to me. I mean, yeah, we kissed, but does that mean I should be outcast from the rest of the world, including my own Pokémon? I sigh, knowing all along that he isn't mad at me; he's just annoyed that he had to be the one to tell on me. Figuring he won't ever speak up if I don't first, I say, "Look, you and I both know I never meant for that to happen."

He hesitates, then answers, "Pika, pika, pi?" _Then why did it?_

"Look, it was a mistake. She moved in, and I-I…"

"Pika, pikachu." _Didn't pull away._

"I really tried Pikachu, but it's like I just couldn't! I don't know why."

"Pika, pika, pi, pika, pikachu?" _What about after she kissed you?_

"I backed away! I promise, it only lasted a few seconds, and even then, it just isn't the same as kissing Misty. Or being with Misty, as a matter of fact." Pikachu nods, finally seeming to understand the whole situation.

"So that's what really happened, eh?" I hear a voice say from behind. I swerve to face Chase and immediately start to speak up, but he puts a hand to my mouth instead and pushes me to the ground.

"Let me go!" I scream, trying to wrench free of his iron grip. Pikachu even attempts to use Thundershock, but he's wearing too much rubber for it to hurt. Stupid insulation!

"Not in this lifetime! I can't have you hurting Misty anymore! Even if it means doing something like this!" _What is he going to do?_ I wonder, clearly hoping to find some way out of this mess. He ties my hands behind my back with a thick rope and before long, my feet are tied as well.

"Pikachu, go find help, and fast!" Pikachu turns to bolt away, but Chase grabs him by the tail and throws him in a metal pet carrier.

"Oh no you don't, you little rat! You're not going anywhere unless I say so!"

"Just _what_ are you planning to do, O'Haze?"

"You'll see, Ketchum. You'll see." He then gags my mouth with a cloth soaked in ether, not only choking me but causing the world around me to suddenly go black.


	26. Chapter 26

Misty's POV

_Ash isn't here. _"Attention all spectators! I'm Lilian Meridian, and welcome to the Cerulean City Contest! I will begin by introducing our judges! First off, the Contest Director himself, Mr. Contesta!"

He waves at the camera, saying, "Welcome everyone!"

_Ash isn't here! Where could he be? _"Next, Mr. Sukizo!"

"Remarkable!" he exclaims as the camera points his way.

_Ash isn't here. Why won't he come? _"And last, but certainly not least, Cerulean's very own Nurse Joy!"

"It's wonderful to be here," Joy replies.

"Now, we have an astounding amount of contestants today. We will begin with the Appeals Round, and follow up with the Battle Round! Are you ready?" The crowd cheers in excitement, and soon the contest starts. Ash still hasn't shown up, constantly making me wonder where he could have gone off to. There are about twenty contestants, and out of them, I know three, I think.

Nando is the first to appear, using his Kricketune to wow the judges in an elaborate and musical appeal. Afterward, a boy Lilian announces as Kenny appeals, making me wonder if this is the Kenny Dawn and Ash are talking about. He has reddish brown hair, and eyes black as midnight. He's wearing a blue outfit, with accents of yellow, as well as a pair of epaulettes. His Empoleon swiftly charms the judges, letting me know that he'll easily make it to the Battle Round.

Dawn appears soon after, wearing a pink frilly dress with puffy sleeves and bows and ribbons scattered across the bottom. Her hair is curled and pulled back, and her blue eyes shine with determination as she throws out her Buneary. Piplup is by her side, so she apparently let him out after she'd left to come get ready. "Buneary, Ice Beam across the entire floor!" she commands, and the little brown bunny hastily obeys. Before long, the performance area is covered in ice, and Buneary starts to ice skate on top.

"Okay, great, now do a backflip using Bounce, and then use Dizzy Punch!" Buneary skates up a ramp she's created, and backflips off of it, flying high up in the air, nearly touching the Contest Hall's rooftop. Her ears start to glow in a rainbow of colors, and as she lands on them, she begins skating once more, pounding the ice with her ears to slide about. She jumps one, two, three times, spinning and flipping across the icy field until she lands on her feet. She smiles, taking a bow, and I can't help but clap along, amazed at her lovely performance.

The judges seem to agree, calling the performance "Fantastic!" and "Remarkable!" among others. They walk out together, and I can almost picture Dawn telling her what a beautiful job she's done. And even after all this, Ash has yet to appear. I look over and across the stadium, where I spot Chase making his way to the performance area. He has a large bag filled to the brim that he's dragging along, and with it, he has a carrier with some type of Pokémon inside.

Curious about his suspicious belongings, I begin to make my way over to him. He spots me, and quickly gets lost in the crowd before I can catch up. _What is he doing?_ I run past the viewers, desperately trying to reach the mysterious boy. "Chase!" I scream out, hoping to catch his attention.

He stops in his tracks, waiting for me to get closer before he darts away once again. "Chase, get back here!"

I chase him out the Contest Hall doors, and before I know it, he screams back, "I thought you never wanted to see me again, Misty! What do you want now? Did he break your heart like I knew he would? That must be it, right?" He swerves to a stop, facing me and looking me straight in the eyes.

The bag is squirming now, causing me to wonder even more what he's up to. "Dawn explained everything. I know what _really_ happened Chase. And I'm not running after you just to try and get you back! I want to know what is going on! Why do you have that carrier, and just _what_ is in that fidgeting bag?"

"So many questions, not enough answers. Afraid I can't tell you any of them, though. And Misty, I would worry more about _who_ is in the bag, not what." He crosses over to me, dropping the bag and cage, and kisses me, hard. I try to pull away, but he's just too strong.

I turn to notice the bag falling limp, lifeless, as if the person inside had no willpower left to live. _No, Ash, No!_ I realize with a cry of defeat. A little yellow furball sits in the carrier, looking as though he's ready to vomit from the sight. _Pikachu! So this is where they ended up!_ "Let. Me. Go!"

"In your dreams, sweetheart," he laughs, kissing me once more like the maniacal and lovesick puppy he'd become. I break free, noticing that the reason the bag looks so dead is because Ash has somehow gotten out! He's already released Pikachu, who looks ready to Volt Tackle Chase straight into next week. Ash comes up behind me, making me realize how truly tall he'd gotten. He now stood a few inches over me.

"You heard the girl. Let her go, Chase. Let _her_ decide who she wants. You do want her happy, right? You also want what's best for her, so I say we let her choose." He backs away, spitting on the ground like Ash has poisoned him with these words.

"Fine," he agrees, believing I'll choose him over Ash. "But how's about we win her over with a battle? One-on-one, no substitutions. Sound fair enough?" Ash looks at me, as if searching for the answer deep within my heart. _Go for it! _I try to convey. _Show him how much you love me!_

"Alright. This is for you, Misty! I choose you, Pikachu!" The little yellow mouse races onto the field the battle is taking place on, and gets ready to face his opponent.

"Well, guess I'll be the ref then," I say, making my way over to the edge of the battlefield.

"Okay then, go, Dugtrio!" _Hm, a Ground-type. Ash should have some fun winning this match._ And out comes a three-headed mole-like Pokémon, raring and ready for the battle to be underway.

"Ready, Ash? You better win this!" I scream, cheering for him like I used to in the old days. Yeah, I kind of miss those days. When Ash was worry-free and oblivious, while I was tomboyish and heartsick. But at least I got to see him every day.

"Couldn't dream of it any other way," he replies, turning his hat backwards like he always does when a battle starts.

"Don't get too cocky, Ketchum. You may have _her_ on your side, but we both know I have the advantage here!"

"Your point? You really don't know me very well then, if you think a type disadvantage is going to freak me out and make me let my guard down. Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Pikachu whips his tail out, it now being coated in a thick layer of iron, and hits Dugtrio square on his middle head. Dugtrio bounces back slightly, but otherwise seems unperturbed by the move.

"Hm, is that all you've got? I could do better in my sleep! Dugtrio, Magnitude, now!" The ground begins to shake fiercely, knocking Pikachu back and forth like a little play doll.

"Pikachu, jump up and use Quick Attack!" Pikachu darts up into the sky, and practically rides the wind as he rams straight into Dugtrio. The Ground-type shakes off the move, seeming more annoyed than it does injured.

"Seriously, Ash? Dugtrio, Dig!" Dugtrio willingly obeys, burrowing under the ground as it prepares to attack.

"Pikachu, I want you to sense where he is. Got it?" Pikachu closes his eyes and nods. "Great, then use Volt Tail on the ground he's under!" _Volt Tail?_ _What is he up to this time?_

Apparently Pikachu understands though, so go figure. He speeds up, heading straight into a Volt Tackle, and at just the right moment, he leaps up and uses Iron Tail, now not only coated with iron but covered in electricity. He smashes into the ground Dugtrio is under, breaking it up so much that you can nearly see all three heads. Chase looks almost as amazed as I am, but quickly masks it as he issues another attack. Not to mention another insult.

"Not bad, Ash. But honestly, I expected way more out of you, from the way Misty talked about you all the time. How strong and undefeatable you were, and even about how you won against the Orange Island Champ. That takes skill, but so far I haven't seen any of it." I bet Ash is ready to scream his head off right now. I can just picture it: "_What? If that move isn't skill, then what is?"_ He'd fight with Chase to the end of time itself if it meant Chase would finally respect him as a Trainer.

"Dugtrio, use Earthquake!"

"Pikachu, Agility to dodge, and then use Thunder!" Pikachu quickens his pace, easily dodging the shaking and broken down pieces of earth as he makes his way over to Dugtrio. He shocks the Pokémon, but as we all know that move has pretty much no effect on Ground-types. He bounces off, landing on the ground with a _thud!_ and awaits his next instructions.

"Dugtrio, Rock Slide!" Rocks begin to rain down on where Pikachu's standing, attempting to crush him with their massiveness.

"Pikachu!" I find myself screaming. _Oh, I hope he's okay!_

"Pikachu, little buddy, are you okay?" Ash asks as Pikachu crawls out from under the rocks. He's badly beaten and bruised, but refuses to give up. He nods, and looks Chase's Dugtrio straight in the eyes as he prepares his next move. "Okay then, Pikachu, Iron Tail, once more!" He whips his tail and slaps the Dugtrio straight across all the faces, cutting him to the extreme in some places.

"Dugtrio, Magnitude, again!" This time the attack is much stronger, leaving me with nothing but a shred of hope that Pikachu will live through it.

"Not so fast, O'Haze! Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

"Pika!" _Okay!_ He begins running full speed, and soon electricity envelopes his entire body. He jumps up, hitting Dugtrio square on the head and knocking him back. Dugtrio stops, stunned by Pikachu's power.

"Now, finish him off with Thundershock!" Pikachu's stored electricity is sent out, shocking not only his opponent, but the field surrounding Dugtrio. Even after all this, Dugtrio is still standing. But not for long. Before Chase can issue the next attack, Dugtrio falls backward, fainting on the spot.

"Dugtrio is unable to battle. Pikachu wins the match!" I scream, excited that Pikachu made it after all. "Chase is out of usable Pokémon, so Ash wins the battle!" I run over to give Ash a hug, so proud of him for winning this battle just for me. For the one person he'd found he cared about most in the world. I turn one last time and look over at Chase, who's fallen on his knees in defeat. Dugtrio has already been returned, but Chase remains rooted to the spot.

He's staring listlessly ahead, trying to comprehend what has just happened. "I-I lost. But…how? I had so much of an advantage over you! The electric-type moves weren't even supposed to affect Dugtrio, but they did. How…?"

I turn back and look straight into Ash's caramel-colored eyes. He searches mine, trying to figure out what I'm desperately wanting to say. His eyes light up, recognizing the worry I'm feeling, and whispers softly in my ear, "I'll be right back. Go on back to the contest to congratulate Dawn on her win."

"But won't he try to—"

"Don't worry, Mist. I think I can handle him now. Just go on, before his heart crumbles even more from seeing you with me." He looks at me with such sincerity that I almost find myself wanting to cry. I hug his neck, and as I turn to leave, he calls after me. "Tell Dawn I said thank you!"

"For what?"

"She'll know," he replies vaguely, not willing to say any more. _Ohhh-kay_ _then_. _Guess I'd better get going._ I walk off, not even considering looking back, and head back to the contest, hoping and praying that Ash will make it back safe and sound.


	27. Chapter 27

Ash's POV

"Hey," I say, crossing over to Chase and crouching down to meet his blank stare. Pikachu follows, apparently just as worried as Misty that something might happen again.

"What do _you_ want? You've already taken the only thing I had left to live for. What else could you possibly want from me?" he hisses weakly, looking like he's about to fall apart at the seams.

"Chase, I don't _want_ anything from you. I came over to talk," I reply, sitting down beside him and looking him straight in the eyes. His normally icy blue gaze is gone now, replaced by a sadness that even I recognize as being heartbroken. _He really, really loved her. _Pikachu walks over and sits in my lap, curling into a ball and taking a short nap.

"You, talk? To me? Hm, that's very likely! What is it really, Ketchum?"

"It _really_ is that I want to talk to you. Look, Chase, I know you love her, and I also know you'd do anything to keep her safe and get her back. I know—"

"Save it, Ketchum. If all you're going to do is remind me more of her, don't even bother. I _don't_ want to hear it."

"There's the thing. I wasn't trying to do that. Now, what I was going to say is that I know you felt like you had to protect Misty, and I understand that. In fact, I'd probably have done the same thing. Maybe not tie you up and throw you in a big brown sack, but I definitely would've tried to keep you from hurting her. Even if it meant giving my own life up in the process."

I look up at the sky, and when I notice Chase scrutinizing me, I turn to face him. I catch his surprise, but he quickly masks it and instead asks a question. "Really? You'd do all that, even after you knew she probably wouldn't take you back for what you'd done to her? Especially after she's already fallen for someone else?" I realize he's talking about himself.

I nod. "Yeah, I'm afraid so. Love is what love is, even if it hurts. I'd do _anything_ to keep Misty smiling, to keep her happy, even if it meant losing her forever to someone I barely know. As long as she's safe, and as long as she's content with her decision, so am I." We sit there in silence for an eternity it seems, when Chase speaks up.

"So, you're saying if even after all this, she chose me in the end, you'd be okay with that?" He certainly knows how to pick the hard questions. Too bad I already have an answer for them all.

"Well, duh, I wouldn't be okay with it! I'd probably go crazy! But, the thing I realize is that her choice is really what counts, not mine. I want her, so badly it hurts sometimes to even think about it, and to even consider that she's really in love with someone else…"—I shudder at the thought—"I just can't even imagine what it'd feel like. Like a whole half of me just went missing. Like my heart just bled itself to death. I know I couldn't handle it, which is why I'm not asking you to."

He looks at me, slightly confused, and asks, "But, if that's true, then what _are_ you trying to ask me?" I think my answer over a moment before I reply.

"Well, I guess I'm asking you to not let it break you to the point of dying. If I was in the same situation, I'd leave her be, and find my own happiness, whether that means being with someone else or being by myself. Almost like I did when I saw you with her last night. When you kissed her, I ran off, thinking she'd found someone else. I didn't want to interfere if I knew she was already happy being with someone else."

"But even when I did have her she wasn't what you would call 'happy.' All she did was talk about you or think about you or dream about, well, you. You had completely stolen her heart, and I don't think I ever stood a chance of getting it back. You are the only person that she ever spoke about. And now, I finally think I see why. You really aren't like I thought you'd be.

"Considering you had been "The Chosen One" and even met Celebi, the Voice of the Forest, I figured you would be more cocky, or self-centered. I definitely never expected this. Not in a million years. You're just a normal guy. Oblivious, maybe, but still a guy. Just like me."

"Yeah, just your average kid from Pallet Town who just so happens to have the greatest friends a person could ask for." I smile, thinking back on everyone I'd been with in my past journeys. From Brock and Misty, to Dawn and Max and May, anyone and everyone who'd ever travelled with me.

"Hmph, wish I could say the same. Aside from having Misty, my life was a total disaster. No real friends except maybe Alfie, but he lives so far away now that we kind of lost touch. Mum and Dad were the ones who decided it'd be best to come here, two years ago. I've been outcast as the new kid since, and they still refuse to let me start my own journey, though I still train as hard as I can so that maybe, just maybe, I'll get to go on one someday."

"Really? Wow, I'm sorry. I never knew that. I left home when I was ten, which was the same day I got Pikachu. He didn't like me very much at first, even laughed at me when I failed to catch my first Pokémon. But after I stole Misty's bike and tried to protect him from about a billion Spearow, I guess he finally decided that, hey, I wasn't such a bad guy after all. We've been best friends ever since," I reply, laughing.

Boy, at the times we've had. He looks at me, also laughing. "You mean he really laughed at you because you couldn't catch your first Pokémon? Wasn't he supposed to be—"

"Yeah, yeah he was. But instead of actually battling he decided to climb up a tree and take a nice, long nap. So, I attempted to catch it with my bare hands. That didn't work out very well at all."

"Whoa, your Pikachu sure was a tough nut to crack. But look at you two now. Inseparable and strong as ever."

"Yeah, we've come a long way, haven't we? You know, he never did any of that to Misty. More like he did the exact opposite. It's like he just immediately fell in love with her! Of course, she knew not to grab him by his tail, which probably helped out a whole lot in the long run," I chuckle, remembering what a certain someone decided to do when he first met Pikachu.

We sit in silence for a few minutes, contemplating what has happened over and over again in our heads. Finally, Chase decides it's his turn to speak first. "You know what? I thought I'd never say this, but I believe you're right. I shouldn't be miserable for the rest of my life over losing her. If it means she's happy, I'll be okay. But, please, promise one thing?" I can't help but notice the honesty in his eyes, so I say yes.

"Name it."

"Promise me that you'll not only treat her right and give her the love she deserves, but also that you won't hurt her like I did. I was too selfish. Maybe if I'd have listened to her, maybe if I'd have accepted her for who she truly was, I might still have her. But it's too little too late for all these 'what ifs,' so I'm asking you to do it instead. Don't be stupid like I was, Ash. Love her while you have her, and do anything to keep her safe. Please, Ash, don't lose her to someone else like I did. It'll be the worst mistake of your life."

I nod in agreement, saying, "Promise. And Chase?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't let it tear you apart. I'm sure there's a girl out there that'll love you ten times more than Misty ever could."

"Well, as Mum always said, 'There's plenty of other Goldeen in the sea!' And thanks, Ash. For everything. Until we meet again," he answers, getting up to leave.

"I'll be looking forward to it," I reply, also standing to my feet and walking off. Pikachu follows groggily, like he isn't ready to wake up quite yet. "Come on, Pikachu! Let's go find Misty and Dawn!" So I drag him along, finally excited that I can have Misty all to myself, without ever having to worry about Chase again.


	28. Chapter 28

Misty's POV

"Why isn't Ash back yet?" I ask Dawn, Piplup, and Buneary as I continue pacing the floor. "He said he wouldn't be gone long! Oh, I hope Chase didn't do anyth—"

"Misty, first off, calm down. I'm sure Ash is fine; he can take care of himself," Dawn states, putting her hands on my shoulders to stop me. "And second, it's not like he went alone. Pikachu is with him! Plus, I'm pretty sure Chase will be too crushed from losing to Ash to even try anything."

"Yeah, Ash thinks the same thing," I reply, looking behind her to notice Kenny leaning up against the doorway.

"Congrats on the win, Dee Dee. You deserve it this time," he says, laughing as Dawn gives him daggers for eyes over the stupid nickname he always calls her. "And who are you?" he asks, looking at me, the strange orange-haired girl standing in his girlfriend's dressing room. They've both already changed out of their contest clothes, I notice.

"Oh, I'm—"

"Her name's Misty. She's Ash's girlfriend."

"But—" I begin, but Kenny cuts me off.

"Ah," he replies, blushing slightly at the word _girlfriend. _"So you're the one Ash always told Dee Dee about. Nice to meet'cha. In case you didn't already know, the name's Kenny," he says, crossing over to stand by us.

"Yeah, Dawn told me," I answer, reaching out my hand to shake his. "Now, uh, why do you call her Dee Dee?"

"Well, it all started when—"

"Kenny! Don't you dare!"

"What? You already told Ash and Brock. Might as well tell her now so she doesn't ask Ash about it later." She has to admit, Kenny does prove a point. Dawn sighs and waves for him to go on as she sits down at her vanity and puts her face in her hands.

"Anyway, back when we were little, the classroom had two pet Pokémon, a Plusle and a Minun. Dee Dee here got shocked by the little Pokémon, so her hair blew up and had sparkles all in it. That's when I nicknamed her Dee Dee, short for 'Diamond Dandruff,' and I've called her that ever since," he finishes, looking over at Dawn to make sure she's okay. She looks up and nods, strolling back over to us.

"Well, now you know. Go ahead, laugh like Ash and Brock did when they first heard it."

I shake my head and reply, "Now why would I do that? I may have travelled with those two, but I'm nowhere near as immature," I reply as she comes to stand beside me.

"Now that's not any way for my _girlfriend _to talk about me when I'm not around, is it?" I turn to face the kid I've fallen so hard for over the years. His chocolate brown eyes are especially bright, and his raven black hair seems to have taken on a life of its on, tousled over his hat by the sweet summer breeze. He's smirking at me, with one eyebrow raised, as if he's getting on to me for what I've just told them.

"Ash! You made it back after all!" I run into his arms, hugging him so tight that I don't think I'll ever decide to let go.

"Told you I would, didn't I?" he answers, staring into my eyes like I'm the only person standing in the room. His lips caress mine, and as I look down I notice Pikachu averting his eyes, pulling his long ears over them so he doesn't have to see us being all lovey-dovey. Ash reluctantly looks up, noticing that Kenny is also there with us. "Oh, hey there Kenny, long time no see," he says, nearly dropping me as he tries to wave. "And Dawn, congrats on the ribbon. I knew you had it in you!"

"Oh, yeah, that," Dawn replies, blushing slightly as she crosses over the the vanity's table and puts it in her ribbon case.

"Hey there, Ash. Didn't think I'd see you again so soon," Kenny says, waving at him in return.

"Small world, huh?" he asks, breaking free from our embrace and moving over to stand beside him. He high-five's Dawn to congratulate her, and immediately seems to forget I'm there when he starts talking to Kenny. I sigh as Pikachu jumps onto my shoulder, realizing he's not going to spend as much time with me as I thought today.

"Pika, pik, pikachu!" _He's just too clueless sometimes!_

"I know, right?" I reply to the little yellow fuzzball. Dawn notices his obliviousness and walks over to him, winking at me.

"Ash Ketchum, aren't you supposed to be spending today with a special someone? I could be wrong, but I do believe she's waiting on you. I'd go now, if I was you."

"Oh yeah," he nods. "Thanks for the reminder, Dawn. Oh well, nice seeing you two again, and good luck on the next contest!" he exclaims, strolling over to me and twining my fingers with his. "Now, I think we have a date to finish. Shall we, Ms. Williams?"

"We shall," I answer, laughing at his fake British accent as we make our way out of the Contest Hall and head over to Cerulean Cape.


	29. Chapter 29

Ash's POV

"The sunset really is beautiful, don't you think, Ash?" Misty asks as the sun slowly starts to sink below the horizon.

"Yeah, it really is," I reply, also watching its relaxing descent below the waves. By the time we'd dropped Pikachu back off at the Gym, it was already five-thirty. We'd made it at just the right moment, and so far, this is about all we've said the whole time. I keep waiting for her to tell me her answer, to let me know that she's decided to come, but so far I've got nothing more than a blank expression on her face and the words "I don't know yet…" Is it really that hard to decide between our journeys together and her position in the Gym?

Who knows? Because for once, I really don't. "Misty…did you…come here, sometimes? With Chase, I mean?"

She sighs, and I realize that it really bothers her to talk about him. _Maybe she really cares about him more than she's letting on,_ I find myself thinking as she slowly starts to answer me. "Well, yes and no. We came once, and that was last night, when you'd run off after seeing us here. See, we'd only been dating two months before you showed back up. Monday would've been our very first date, if I hadn't…" she trails off, not really wanting to finish her explanation.

I want to hear the rest, to press her further, but I just can't bring myself to ask. Instead we just stand here, staring out across the waves as the last ray of sunshine slowly disappears from sight. I look over at her, and notice the troubled expression on her face. "Misty, are you okay?" I ask softly, staring straight into her sea foam green eyes while she searches for an answer.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lies, stuttering slightly as she averts her gaze.

"Misty, I know you better than this. What's wrong? Really, this time," I press, quickly regretting my insistence.

"I'm fine, okay? Just…don't worry about it," she spouts off at me, letting me know that whatever it is really seems to irritate her a lot. _She knows something I don't_. I start to ask her again anyway, but stop when I notice the tears starting to form in her eyes.

I hug her tight and say, "Please, don't cry, Misty. I hate seeing you cry. I don't like it when something bothers you like this. Tell me what it is, please? I want to help, Mist. In any way I can." I can feel her tears as they soak through my shirt, and I can hear her mutter and mumble as she tries to figure out what to say.

She finally pulls away, her face red as a Magby's forehead, as she softly answers, "I…I can't…I can't go with you tomorrow." _What? Why not? What did I do?_ I want to scream, but my voice has suddenly disappeared. Her words cut me like a knife, stabbing straight at my heart. We stand in silence as I slowly catch my breath.

"But…but, why?" I finally croak out, unsure of what else I can possibly say to help numb the pain we're both feeling.

"My sisters," she begins, "They decided to go on an all-expense paid luxury cruise. They wanted to surprise me, to show me that I was trusted with the Gym while they would be away. It lasts nearly all month, and they're leaving at the break of dawn tomorrow morning to make it to Vermilion on time. I promise you, Ash, I didn't know until Daisy told me when we stopped by to drop Pikachu off. You were so busy getting their autographs for that Rusty kid you mentioned for you to even notice. If I don't stay, the Gym will…it will…" she mutters, unable to finish what she's about to say.

It nearly shatters my heart to say it, but I know what I have to do. "I-It's fine, Misty. You do what you have to, and so will I. I mean, I know it's going to be hard, not seeing each other every day, but we can do it! I'll figure it out, call every single day I can find a phone. It'll all work out, you'll see."

"You really mean it, Ash?" she asks quietly, not wanting to believe a word she's just heard.

"Yeah, Misty, I'd do anything to make you happy." She looks up at me, but I can tell something still isn't right. "Misty, I—"

"Ash, I-I really don't know what to say. It's nice of you to do all this, but, I really just don't see how it'll work."

"B-but, what do you mean? I already said—"

"It's not about that, Ash. It's about us. Our lives, they're leading in totally opposite directions. I…just don't see how us being together will ever work out. You'll always be on your journeys and adventures, and I'll always end up right back here, facing challenger after challenger day in and day out until the day that I die.

"I can't hold you back, Ash. I can't keep you from following your dreams, but I can't just sit here and be happy when I can't be with you like I so desperately want to be. You know that; you remember that, from when I had to come home the first time. I never wanted to leave you guys, but I had no other choice. You understand…right?" she asks, averting her gaze once again to the place the sun had been only minutes ago.

I don't want to admit it, but she's right. How could we possibly stay together when we know we would never see each other? I want to cry, but there's nothing left to cry about. She's handled that part already. I fall onto my knees, nearly ready to faint from the world spinning around me, but I find that no matter how much I want to, I just can't seem to black out, to get away from everything that has just taken place.

_So, this is what it feels like for your heart to be broken. Now I know how Chase must've felt, seeing her so much happier and better off with me instead of him._ "But…I love you, Misty. It has to work, it just has to! We, we can still figure it out, I-I mean, we have to! We just…have to." But it's useless to keep going. She's made her decision already.

"Ash…I love you too, but it just won't work! It never could've, even you should know that." She pauses, waiting for me to answer. When I make no move to reply, she finally says, "I'm sorry, Ash. I really am. You can still stay tonight though, if you'd like, since I don't think you have anywhere else to go."

Her sincerity amazes me still, but I know I can't stay there. Not tonight, at least. Not when I already know I'll soon be leaving the person I love more than anything, even life itself. I shake my head, knowing that I'm crushing both our hearts even more with this gesture. "Thanks for the offer, Mist, but I think I'll just stay at the Pokémon Center for tonight. In fact, I should probably get going. I'll have to leave early tomorrow in order to make it home in time for the trip to Unova. Good night, Misty."

I lean in to kiss her, but quickly back away once I realize what I'm doing. No, I can't end it like that. Not this time. I slowly begin to trudge away, walking back to the Gym, where I can get my bike, my Pokémon, and hopefully my heart back, since it has so easily been lost to the girl I thought would be mine forever.


	30. Chapter 30

Misty's POV

It's over. It really is over. I mean, I knew I'd feel crummy doing that, and I knew it'd hurt us both pretty badly, but I never expected it to be this horrible. I'm finally home, lying on my bed as I think about what has just happened. Oh, how I wish I could fix everything, make it all right again.

I would give anything to see Ash's smile, just one more time, but it's already too late. He's already gotten his stuff and left for the Pokémon Center, not even bothering to look me in the eyes one last time before he walked out the door. This must be what heartbreak feels like, to really know that the one good thing I had is gone forever, never to return. Like, a part of me is missing; a part I never even knew existed.

I hear a knock on the door and groan, turning over to face the wall. I really just don't feel like talking right now! "Misty, are you awake?" I hear a voice ask through the door. I shut my eyes, hoping Daisy will just leave me alone and let me be. Instead, she opens my door just a crack and silently walks right in.

"Misty, I know you're mad at us. I really don't know how I can fix this. Please, speak to me, at least. Tell me, what else can I possibly do?"

"You could make it to where I could go with Ash, but I just don't see how that's possible, considering there's no one that can watch the Gym while you three are away," I mumble into my pillow, hoping she won't hear me.

"Look, you know I can't help that. We'll be back in a month, can't you just wait until then? That's still almost two months with him."

"But don't you understand? It just doesn't work that way. He'll already have found someone else by then…Besides, I already told him we couldn't ever work out. What more can I say? All I'll do is break his heart even more if I try to fix things now."

"Look, I can't tell you what you should do. But if I were you, I wouldn't let something like this tear you two apart. You're just too…right for each other. And you and I both know that love never fails, so no matter how far apart you two are, no matter how different you both become, and no matter what happens in either of your lives, nothing could ever take those feelings away. Misty, you'd walk a thousand miles to see that boy's face, and I sure do believe he'd do the same for you!

"Just please, don't give up yet. There's always hope." We sit there in the dark for what seems like forever, when I finally decide to speak up.

"For you, there may be. But I really just can't see us staying together when our lives are going in such separate directions. I'm sorry, Daisy, I just can't." I look her in the eyes, wanting nothing more than to hug her like I used to when I was just a little kid.

"Well, as I said, I can't change your mind. I'm sorry, Misty, I really truly am."

"I know, Daisy…" And finally, I do it. I hug her, for the first time since I was about seven or eight, and she hugs back. I miss moments like this, moments where sisters could just be sisters, where no one could bug us about it, where no one could tease me for being the youngest, and especially where I know I could be myself no matter what and she'd understand.

"Love you, Misty," she surprises me by saying.

"Love you too," I reply, breaking our embrace as she gets up to leave. "Night," I whisper, thinking she won't hear me.

"'Night," she replies back, shutting the door as I quietly drift off into the world of dreams, hoping never to have to come back to the reality that my biggest dream will never ever come true.


	31. Chapter 31

Ash's POV Day 5 (Friday)

"Well, Pikachu, you ready?" Pikachu nods solemnly, and I can tell he misses her nearly as bad as I do. But, things are all set. I called Professor Oak last night, wanting to know if I could leave any sooner than we'd originally planned, and he told me the ferry from Vermilion also leaves today, if I wanted to go ahead and board. I sent the Sensational Sisters' autographs to Rusty last night so he wouldn't worry about it and even called Brock to let him know we wouldn't be coming, though I never told him exactly why. The Professor and Mom are driving to Vermilion so they can ride the ship to Nuvema with me.

Too bad Misty won't be with us… Oh well, no time for thinking; we've got to hurry! I feel like maybe, if I can just get out of Kanto and get as far away from her as possible, my feelings might fade away. Maybe I won't have this aching in my heart anymore, or the hollowness that comes with it. And maybe, just maybe, I can finally move on with my life and find someone else who makes me just as happy.

But you and I both know that's not happening. I'll always feel this way, no matter how far apart we are, and no matter how hard I try to forget it, it'll always be here, deep down in my heart. Pikachu jumps onto my shoulder as I start to pedal away from Cerulean City forever. Misty never came to say goodbye, and I very well never expected her to (though I will admit I'd hoped she would've.) We start off by cutting through the Underground Path on Route 5, zooming straight through the tunnel like a speeding bullet.

When we finally make it out, we've arrived on Route 6, skipping completely over Saffron City as we make our way to Vermilion instead. This route is one of the nicer, more scenic ones, though there are a lot of trainers raring and ready to battle the next person they lock eyes with. Today I just so happen to accidentally smash into one of them. _Crash!_ I look up, and notice that I've run straight into Casey! Why, I haven't seen her since we travelled in Johto nearly two years ago! When Misty was still with us. With me.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" she screams, scrambling to get up off the ground and dust herself off. Yep, same old Casey. Purple pigtails, yellow outfit, baseball bat and cap, and her trusty whistle. She finally realizes who I am after a few minutes, and before I can even pick my bike up out of the dirt her arms are around me, giving me a hug almost as tight as Misty's are—were, anyway.

"Ash! It's been too long!"

"It really has," I reply, breaking her embrace and letting Pikachu hop back onto my shoulder. "Still Team Electabuzz, I see?"

"Yup, and you know what? They're finally winning! Go Team Electabuzz!" she exclaims, waving her bat back and forth as she cheers her favorite Pokémon Baseball team on.

"So I've heard," I answer, finally lifting my bike up and dusting it off. "Anyways, what are you doing here, Casey?"

"Oh, after training so much in Johto I decided it'd be best to try my luck here, where there'd be even more yellow Pokémon to catch! I still have that Beedrill you gave me, by the way."

"Wow, that's awesome! How's it doing?"

"Great! It's almost as strong as my Meganium now!" Meganium was her first Pokémon, though it originally started out in its unevolved form, Chikorita.

"So, have you battled Lt. Surge yet?" I ask, changing the subject randomly and absentmindedly.

"Oh…well, I tried once, but his Raichu's tough! I mean, maybe I should've went with Meganium instead of Beedrill, but…"

Seeing how upset she is about it, I roll my eyes and say, "Same old Raichu, huh Pikachu?" He nods, thinking back to the time we'd battled Lt. Surge and his sluggishly powerful Pokémon.

"You mean you've already battled him?" Casey asks, her bug brown eyes expressing confusion.

"Well, yeah. Before we came to Johto, I travelled through this region. Lt. Surge is pretty tough, though. We lost to him the first time we challenged him. I even asked Pikachu if he wanted to evolve just so we'd win!"

"But, he didn't. So how did you beat him?"

"Hm, the second time I battled him I realized that yeah, Raichu was powerful, but Pikachu was faster, so I used speed against him! Meganium may not be able to do that, though it is a good choice since it's strong against electric moves anyway."

"Ah, I see," she replies, smiling. "Well, it looks like you were in quite a hurry, so I guess I'll be off too. Next time we see each other, you gotta promise me we'll battle, okay?"

"Yeah, that's a promise! Good luck with your gym battles here, Casey! I'll be rooting for you all the way!"

"You too, Ash! Don't fall behind now! Or it might just be too late!" she exclaims, winking as she walks away toward Saffron City. I wave as I head my own way, straight for Vermilion. I finally arrive around ten, but the ferry doesn't leave for another hour, so I end up having to find something to occupy the rest of my time with.

I start by heading for the Gym, wondering if Lt. Surge even remembers who I am. I knock on the double doors, and after they slowly creak open, I walk into the Gym, not quite sure what will happen next. "Who's there to challenge me, the Lightning American?" I hear a voice rumble from somewhere inside the dark room.

"Uh, I didn't come to challenge…" I answer, cringing as I wait for what he'll boom out next.

"Whaaat? Then why are you even here!" he exclaims, cutting on the lights to see just who had trespassed inside his Gym.

"I uh…well, I'm not really sure why I decided to come here," I answer, praying to God that he recognizes me for only the millionth time in the past few minutes.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the kid that beat Raichu with his Pikachu a few years back! Tell me, kid, how've you been?" he asks, coming over to get a better look at me.

"…" _What should I tell him? "Things are going perfect?" Nah, I don't think even he could believe a lie that big. Especially when I have such a hard time believing it myself._

"Well? Have you gone mute all of a sudden? And where are those other kids at? The ones that travelled here with you last time."

"Oh, you mean Brock and…" Misty, I think, unable to finish the sentence. "Well, Brock went on to med school so he could become a Pokémon Nurse, and well, the girl went back home to take over as Gym Leader while her sisters were gone."

"Well doesn't this girl have a name? You have to know it, or you two wouldn't have travelled together! Out with it, kid! Don't make me call you a 'baby' again," he teases, pulling my hat down over my eyes by patting me on the head with his humungous hand.

"Her name is…well, it's…"

"Are you going to answer or not?" Lt. Surge asks, finally noticing my voice crackles whenever I mention this mysterious girl.

"Misty! Her name's Misty!" I exclaim, ready to break down into tears once more, but knowing full well that doing that isn't exactly the best idea right now.

"See, now was that so hard?" _Yeah, it was, you jerk! Why do you make me bring her up, even after you can see how much it hurts?_ "Kid, I don't know what's going on, but it seems to me like something's up between you and that girl. Out with it."

"Well, I asked her to come on my next journey with me, all the way to Unova. She accepted, naturally, but she had to say no after she found out no one could care for the Gym this summer. So, I left to go on alone, which is kind of why I'm in Vermilion now."

"Hm, sounds to me like you're so down about it that you think leaving immediately is the way to go. I wouldn't be so sure if I were you," he answers, looking straight at me with his stern expression.

"And why's that? She couldn't come anyway! Might as well leave while I still have some of my heart to go on with."

"Guess I can't tell you what to do, kid. But I can tell you this; when I left America years ago, I left a lot behind too. My family, my friends, but most of all, the girl I loved. Her name was Lila. She said no too, of course, because she had to care for her ailing grandmother, so I left on the nearest ship out of there. Later on I found out she'd come chasing after me, wanting to come here with me, but because I'd left too soon without even a second thought, it was already too late.

"Years later I heard that she'd finally married someone, a man by the name of Flynn Rider, and so far I think she's had four kids of her own. To this day I haven't seen her since, but I know that wherever she is, she must be pretty happy. Otherwise, I don't know how I'd ever forgive myself for leaving her," he continues, putting his face in his right hand. "I guess what I'm trying to tell you, kid, is this: Don't let your emotions keep you from losing the one good thing you have in your life. It really will be the worst mistake of your life," he finishes, thinking back to the day he'd left Lila all alone.

Wow, of all the things you can expect out of Lt. Surge, I bet you never would've expected _that_. But hey, don't we all have a past that we try to hide, at one time or another? "Whoa…I never would've thought that…I'm sorry, Lieutenant."

"Ah, it's fine," he answers, clapping my back like nothing's wrong. "Just another loop on the rollercoaster ride of a lifetime! Now, seems to me like you've got some unfinished business to take care of. Well? Don't just stand there, cadet! You know what you've got to do!"

I jump at the orders he's barked at me, and begin to leave. "Thanks, Lt. Surge! I owe you one!"

"You sure do, kid! Now scram, before I have to teach you a lesson you won't forget!" I run out the doors, heading straight for the ferry, where Mom and Oak are getting ready to board.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry!" Mom exclaims, squeezing me tight and kissing my forehead. _Wait, how does she know? _I wonder, casting a glance at Professor Oak, who seems intent on counting how many bags we've packed for the journey.

"MOM!" I shout, backing away. "I'm fine! It's not that big of a deal!"

"Well then, it's time to board the ferry, young man! Now, are you coming or what?"

"Um…" I trail off, not sure what I really want to do.

"Well? Are you coming or not?"

"I…I guess I am," I reply, looking out into the distance as if making sure Misty wouldn't pop up out of nowhere.

"All aboard to Nuvema Town!" _Well, here goes nothing._


	32. Chapter 32

Misty's POV

He didn't even show up to say goodbye. Guess I should've expected as much out of him. What do I care anyway? He's long gone by now. So far, I've had only one challenger, a boy named Ferrous and his Eevee named Eve.

They held out, but I finished them off easily with a Hydro Pump from Staryu. Since then, I've had nothing to do but walk around the Gym and find that every corner I turn reminds me more and more of…_him_. Like the note on my dresser that I'd never taken down, or the seat he always sat in during one of our Water Shows, even the battling area takes me back to when he first battled at the Gym! Our very first battle together. I would've won too, if Team Rocket hadn't blasted their way in here!

I look around, remembering Pikachu and Butterfree on the battlefield and when I turn to walk into the reception area, I notice Chase, looking straight at me like I'm a ghost in disguise. "What are you doing here? Coming to try taking me back since Ash…" _Left?_ I want to ask, but just can't bring myself to finish the sentence.

"No, not at all. The real question is what are _you_ doing here? I saw Ash earlier this morning. He broke down, told me everything. Man, he's so tore up about it, he's leaving today instead of Sunday, like they'd originally planned. Heading straight for the next ferry out of Vermilion City." _What? But…Ash…_

"But he…he can't leave!" I exclaim, so caught up in my own feelings of anguish that I don't even half-realize what I'm telling Chase. "Not without me! Not like this…"

He notices my distress, and hugs me tight, saying, "Go on, Misty. If it's what you really want. I'll take care of the Gym while your sisters are away. I promise. Have I ever broken any of my promises? I'll make sure they know you're safe; just go on, before it's too late.

"You're one of the best things that's ever happened to me, and now it's time I repay you for all you've done for me." His sincerity shocks me, but I know he's telling the truth. He'd do anything to make me happy. Just like Ash would've done, had I not broken his heart like I did last night. I nod, still holding close to one of the best friends a girl could ask for, even if he did try to tie up the boy I like so much! He only did it because he cares, and that's more than enough for me.

"Really? You'd do that, for me?"

"Sure I will Misty. You've got my word. Now go on, and don't you even think about coming back until summertime is over!"

"Thanks, Chase. I promise, I'll be back before you even know I'm gone!" I exclaim, waving to him as I rush out of the battle area to grab my stuff and go. My bag is already packed, from when I thought I'd be leaving with Ash, so I pick it up and make a mad dash for the door, hopping on my bike and getting out of here once and for all! I ride nonstop through Route 5, the Underground Path, and Route 6, till I can finally see the lights of Vermilion.

I keep going, noticing that the ferry is already beginning to leave. _I'll never make it in time!_ I think, racing toward the ship like my life depends on it. I skid to a stop at the edge of the dock, but I'm too late. The ship is too far away for me to make a jump for it like Ash did once before. I can't do that even if I try.

Instead I clamber off my bike, and as it crashes to the ground, so do I. With my face in my hands, I begin to cry, wondering how in the world he could leave me without even telling me goodbye. I feel a hand on my shoulder, startling me into looking up and seeing just who is here. "You didn't honestly think I'd leave without you, did you?" I hear a voice almost as familiar as my own ask quietly.

"Ash!" I exclaim, turning to give him the biggest hug I could possibly give another human being. "But, I thought you were leaving today? Chase told me everything!"

"He did, did he? Well, I was going to leave, Misty, but I didn't, thanks to a certain Lieutenant we all know and love. I finally told Mom I couldn't do it, so I convinced her that we could stay in the Pokémon Center until Sunday, when the next ferry for Nuvema would be ready. She agreed, giving me two more days to prepare for my next journey. I just wanted to tell you, I can't do this one without you by my side the whole way. Me without you just doesn't work, Misty, so please, please tell me you can—" And before I even let him finish, I kiss him, giving him his final answer.

"Yes, Ash. I'd go with you to the ends of this Earth if you'd let me!" I break his embrace, looking straight into his chocolate brown eyes as I say these next three words. "I love you." He looks surprised, but quickly hides it and answers back with the same words.

"I love you too, Misty. No matter what."


	33. Chapter 33

Ash's POV Day 7 (Sunday)

Well, today's the day. After Misty told me yes Friday, I haven't been able to do anything else but spend every second I can with her. I can't lose her, not ever again, and I sure don't plan on it either. We've already boarded the ferry to Nuvema, and are heading there now. Mom and the Professor are with us, also excited to see Unova for the first time.

Mom's not ready to see me go off on my newest journey just yet, but it reassures her to know I won't be alone, no matter where I end up. As the boat slowly makes it way to Nuvema Town, I'm reminded of the cruise Brock, Misty, and I ended up on. What a disaster that was! I'm also reminded about the lonesome ride with Pikachu to Hoenn, where I first met May and Max, while ending up running into Brock along the way. Sinnoh was typically the same, only Dawn replaced May and Max on that journey.

_I wonder who else we'll travel with here…?_ I ask myself as the boat docks into the bay at Nuvema Town. "Thank you for choosing the _S.S. Anne!_ Be sure to get everything you need while you're here! We will head back to Vermilion shortly! Have a nice day!" a person blares into the intercom. Misty and I get off, not quite ready to go, but knowing it's what's best. Mom and the Professor hug us both goodbye.

"Ash, be careful, you hear? And Misty, please keep an eye out for my son. You know how much I worry about him."

"You and me both," she mumbles, reluctantly agreeing to watch out for me.

"And Ash?"

"Yeah, Mom?"

"I love you."

"Love you too. Bye, Mom! Bye, Professor!" I exclaim, waving to them as they back away to get on the boat.

"Well, you ready?" I ask Misty excitedly.

"Readier than I've ever been in my life."

"Great, then let's go! No time to waste!" So on we go, diving straight into Unova headfirst, straight into a new and wonderful adventure.

The End.

A/N to all the people who read this: I hope you enjoyed reading it almost as much as I enjoyed writing it!:D

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